By the numbers
Wednesday, Apr 3, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hmm…
* Lots of newbies…
* More numbers…
* Lori Lightfoot wins historic mayoral race: ‘This is amazing’: Lightfoot’s landslide rivals former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s 2003 re-election bid, when the 14-year incumbent beat the Rev. Paul Jakes Jr., 78.46 percent to 14.02 percent. Patricia McAllister drew 5.9 in that contest and Joseph McAfee 1.62 percent.
* To the new mayor: Congratulations — now, get to work: Lightfoot must find $276 million immediately and $1.2 billion by 2023 to bankroll the four pension funds for city employees. On top of that, the city’s corporate fund has shortfalls of $251.7 million next year and $362.2 million in 2021. And that’s even before factoring in the cost of new contracts and back pay for police officers and firefighters.
* City Council poised to have most Hispanic, fewest white aldermen ever: Following the aldermanic runoffs on Tuesday, Hispanics have picked up at least one seat, for a total of 11.
* Dynasty dustups on Northwest Side: Gutierrez loses Council bid, Mell could, too: A fall for Deb Mell would mean that a member of the Mell political dynasty wouldn’t be running the ward for the first time in 44 years.
- Steve - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:17 am:
Mandate for change.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:23 am:
–Not only did Lightfoot sweep all 50 wards, but she won virtually all of the the city’s 2,069 precincts with the exception of a handful in Preckwinkle’s 4th Ward.–
I guess those 4th Ward precincts are the New Machine.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:33 am:
My worry about a replay of Council Wars seems overblown. Lori will have to make major errors for challengers to emerge.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:37 am:
To the Post,
The slow burn, the long time of “early voting” allowing the snowballing of an implosion that was the Preckwinkle campaign fueled this thumping.
I mean… *every* day… people went to vote early… to vote for Lightfoot, which could equally be voting against Preckwinkle… at “their convenience”…
Election Day began so many days ago, not just yesterday, giving voters ample time to cast a vote to send a message, not just that 12 hour window of yesterday.
This was a shellacking.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:50 am:
When it’s the day after, and you are still losing 2-1 to “Not Reported Yet,” that’s not good.
- Little Changes - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 10:55 am:
So, um, do we need term limits?
- a drop in - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 11:03 am:
Interesting note: Out of the 424,000 votes Toni could have picked up from the other candidates, she only improved her vote count by about 41,000 votes. That’s spectacularly bad.
- A guy - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 11:19 am:
Gulp. This borders on consensus.
- A 400lb. Guy on a bed - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 11:47 am:
I expect a Lightfoot administration will be like the Jane Byrne administration.
- Montrose - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 12:24 pm:
“I expect a Lightfoot administration will be like the Jane Byrne administration.”
Because of similar genitalia? What does that even mean?
- ZC - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 12:42 pm:
Alderman Ed Burke: “Doesn’t anyone else know how to run a machine, anymore?”
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 1:07 pm:
–Did people hold Toni responsible for the soda tax debacle?–
They didn’t last year for Cook County board prez, when she won a Dem primary and was unopposed in the general.
I wouldn’t look for one, simple answer to this whupping.
- A guy - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
==I wouldn’t look for one, simple answer to this whupping.==
I tend to agree. If there was a simple answer, it just might be that people liked Lori anywhere from a little to a lot, and they want change…alot.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 2:00 pm:
Reminiscent of the Reagan/Mondale election map. Beyond a woodshed beating.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 3, 19 @ 5:26 pm:
Devastating to Prekwinkle and her CTU benefactors.
- Anon - Thursday, Apr 4, 19 @ 12:59 am:
==This was a shellacking.==
The uniformity of it was odd. WGN started showing the numbers with 16% reporting and Lightfoot at 74%. And she stayed there all night — not 73, not 75, but 74. If not for the earlier polls, you might wonder if it was rigged.
Anyway, add Preckwinkle’s name to the others who underperformed: Daley, Mendoza, Chico, Fioretti, etc.
A city income tax would require a constitutional amendment, right? Might want to start working on it.