With growing numbers of black and Latino politicians calling for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to resign, it’s probably time for the county’s Democratic Party leaders to rethink their summertime decision not to endorse anyone in the primary.
The incumbent state’s attorney is facing two Democratic primary challengers, Kim Foxx and Donna More.
Foxx, an African-American woman and former prosecutor, is the former chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and is backed by other African-American and liberal leaders, plus some labor unions.
More is white, is a former county prosecutor and has represented casino interests since she left the Illinois Gaming Board decades ago. She also contributed to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign (one of only a handful of contributions she’s ever made). The first-time candidate has demonstrated an ability to raise enough money to compete.
The general rule of thumb for incumbents facing primaries is “the more, the merrier.” Multiple candidates can split the “anti” vote against the incumbent, which means Alvarez won’t need to receive 50 percent plus one to win. In other words, she could win.
The Chicago media is currently in an uproar about police-involved shootings, and Alvarez is taking big heat for her cozy ties to the police and for her alleged slow-walking of murder charges against the police officer who shot 17-year-old LaQuan McDonald 16 times last year.
Alvarez has always been very friendly to police interests, once charging a woman with a felony for recording two Chicago police officers as they were trying to convince her to drop sexual harassment charges against another police officer. That’s going above and beyond.
So, when the state’s lone Latino in the U.S. Congress, Luiz Gutierrez, withdrew his Alvarez endorsement and other major Cook County Latino figures called on her to resign, the pressure built to a full-on boil.
But as we’ve seen elsewhere, a racial backlash could easily develop in this contest. Racial politics are a hard fact of life in Cook County (as they are most places), so what follows may seem insensitive, but it’s not meant to be at all.
The hard fact is that suburban Cook County just isn’t as racially diverse or as liberal as Chicago. It was just 24 percent African-American and 25 percent Latino in the last census, compared with 32 percent white in the city. The suburbs have quite a lot of people who fled Chicago or who refuse to live there.
It’s also not a stretch to imagine that the reaction by suburban whites to the “Black Friday” protests on Chicago’s famed Michigan Avenue were probably a bit different than they were on the South and West Sides.
Alvarez has repeatedly and quite angrily insisted that she won’t let “the politicians” with “political agendas” force her out of office or out of the race.
So, the question has to be asked: What if Alvarez actually wins the nomination as a pro-police, law and order candidate? The uproar from the Democratic base would be deafening, and the consequences in the state’s largest and most important Democratic county might be substantial.
On the other hand, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Ald. Ed Burke support Alvarez. Those two have a lot of sway in Cook County, so as long as they are with the incumbent, the party likely won’t back anyone else.
Both men represent majority Latino areas. Madigan is himself facing a Latino primary opponent (which is probably no big deal, but Madigan hates taking chances). When asked last week if it was time to reconsider the county party’s non-endorsement, Madigan said he was too busy focusing on the state budget — which is simply not believable if you know the multitasking Madigan even a little bit.
And Burke flatly refused to back away from Alvarez last week.
Madigan also has quite a few contested suburban general election House campaigns, so the opinions of those voters have to be factored in as well.
It’s always possible, perhaps even probable, that Alvarez and More will cancel each other out, allowing Foxx to win.
But Chicago Democrats have enough problems these days (impending school strike, huge budget deficits, a murder spike, taxes rising everywhere) without piling an Alvarez primary victory on top of that gigantic mountain.
The Democratic Party showed it could adapt when it stripped Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown of her slating because of a federal investigation and then handed it to one of her opponents.
The same sort of rethinking should be done with the Alvarez contest.
- wordslinger - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 9:50 am:
Looking at the ISBE site, none of them — Alvarez, Foxx or More — have been setting the world on fire to date with fundraising.
Late money for TV and radio could be big in this one.
- Big Joe - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 9:53 am:
Bad mayoring has consequences, I guess, Rahm.
- Belle - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 9:59 am:
Van Dyke’s behavior is more than questionable. But, for me, the big issue with this has been the lengthy and sleazy cover-up.
When I think of the Dem Party standing behind a politician-in-trouble, I remember Blago.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:05 am:
==was given a prolonged and sustained standing ovation.==
So, if you’re Irish, then everything is okay?
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:11 am:
The facts have not changed. The video has been released, but the facts have not changed.
The only reason they would do this is to send a clear message: we care about keeping ==our people== in office, but not about their ability to do the job.
Many have been saying for years that Alvarez needs to go.
Political parties should speak up more often than just when they are at risk of losing an office.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:21 am:
maybe the Cook County GOP can run a credible candidate in September if Alvarez wins the Democratic primary.
Does Jack O’Malley want his old job back?
- Amalia - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:21 am:
comparing Alvarez to Blagojevich in terms of trouble is beyond ridiculous.
- Huh - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:24 am:
Your saying they risk a backlash from voters for not endorsing anyone? In a presidential election year, w/ one senate race and one statewide office, sorry Rich, not buying it. Is anyone expecting any kind of turnout in this primary in cook county, if so, why?
- Century Club - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:33 am:
For the same reason Luis Gutierrez and Karen Yarbrough just dumped Alvarez, I can’t see Burke and Madigan doing it. Everyone has an opinion on Alvarez. Politicians aren’t leading their voters, they are following them.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:35 am:
===Your saying they risk a backlash from voters for not endorsing anyone? ===
No. Read what I wrote.
- walker - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:35 am:
Sorry, just not gonna happen. Madigan and Burke trumped Preckwinkle — for now.
Much more about power politics in the City, than any concern with how suburban voters might swing. My limited sense is that suburban Cook Dems would just as soon see Alvarez go also.
The risk for Dems overall is slight either way.
- Arizona Bob - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:35 am:
Anita is perhaps the most politically motivated “prosecutor” in the history of the office. “Equal protection under the law” is just words to her.
One person I know made the mistake of signing for her mother on a petition to put a measure on a suburban ballot. She was quite a community “watchdog” and supported many GOP candidates and opposed Dem school and municipal tax increases regularly.
Anita made charged her with a felony for this, and part of the plea bargain to keep her out of jail was to refrain from any political activity, including circulating petitions.
How many Chicago Dems who falsified petitions were ever charged with a felony by Anita?
- Elmira Eddie - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:46 am:
Let’s get in the DeLorean and take a spin back to 1972 and the states attorney race where Mr. Hanrahan won the primary. Say Ms. A. wins the plurality by a plurality. Is there the equivalent of a Bernie Carey waiting in the wings for Jesse et.al. to endorse?
- MrJM - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 10:53 am:
“comparing Alvarez to Blagojevich in terms of trouble is beyond ridiculous.”
And comparing Blagojevich to Ryan in terms of trouble was beyond ridiculous.
Until it wasn’t.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
oh, yeah, Anita calling the FBI for both of the cases at hand sure sounds like she’s not interested in justice and is doing something illegal. come on Mr JM….
- Apocalypse Now - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 1:13 pm:
Grab some popcorn and beverage and enjoy the show!
- wordslinger - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
–Grab some popcorn and beverage and enjoy the show!–
Taking pleasure in the fallout from a cop being charged with the murder of a sexually abused ward of the state?
That explains a lot, AN.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
“Anita calling the FBI for both of the cases at hand sure sounds like she’s not interested in justice”
Sounds like she has a hotly-contested primary in 99 days.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 1:36 pm:
so that’s why Anita called the FBI in the fall of 2014….
- crazybleedingheart - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
Great column, Rich. I think it very accurately outlines the forces at play (and who should be held accountable to act).
Being “open” to 4 years of Alvarez continuing to cover for cops is certainly not what a lot of people are asking of the party.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Dec 7, 15 @ 2:03 pm:
==maybe the Cook County GOP can run a credible candidate in September if Alvarez wins the Democratic primary.==
@Ravenswood Right Winger - well said. They also helped ==enable== Alvarez. Parties should always run credible candidates.