* This is silly and I’ll explain why after you read the release. From Ald. Ariel Reboyras and Sen. Iris Martinez, who doesn’t live in the district…
REBOYRAS AND MARTINEZ STAND UP TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MACHINE
Springfield – Ever since Luis Arroyo resigned his position as State Representative, the old-time Party Machine has advanced a plan to deprive our supermajority Latino district of a replacement of our choosing. Insiders are creating chaos and demanding that the law be violated in an effort to secure the appointment of David Feller, a non-Latino Cook County bureaucrat, to the position.
The scheme is being advanced by State Senator Martwick, who represents just a few Latinos, and by Party staff, who report directly to Chairwoman Preckwinkle. In furtherance of the strategy, even Speaker Madigan has threatened to defy the will of Latino voters and remove any candidate our supermajority Latino district selects to fill Arroyo’s seat.
This scheme is absolutely unethical, and the Speakers’ threat is against the law. We know these are strong allegations, but this corrupt program must be stopped.
Under State law, Party bylaws, and longstanding custom and practice, when an official leaves office before an election, committeepersons from the district fill the vacancy. In this case, voters from the 36th Ward will be represented by a proxy, not Arroyo. He will not be involved; he will not pick his replacement. Despite these safeguards, the Party Machine is demanding that votes from the 36th Ward should be rejected. This illegal distortion of the process is intended to skew the vote to result in appointment of the non-Latino insider, David Feller.
As leaders in the Latino community, we are standing up for the voters of the 3rd District, not Arroyo. We are committed to following the law and to giving our community a voice. We are conducting an open and transparent process to select a new State Representative. We are prepared to bring a federal case to protect Latinos in the 3rd District from any scheme that nullifies their votes.
Yes, Martwick is backing Feller. But as I told subscribers this morning, others are supporting Chicago public schools teacher Nydia Carranza. She’s also backed by the CTU.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 1:17 pm:
=== We are prepared to bring a federal case to protect Latinos in the 3rd District from any scheme that nullifies their votes.===
So the premise is… if you don’t include the indicted state rep in the process… it’s discriminatory?
Oh sorry…
=== In this case, voters from the 36th Ward will be represented by a proxy, not Arroyo. He will not be involved; he will not pick his replacement.===
That’s fun. Oh. Is there a legal way of doing this?
Why not try to secure 50% without the 36th Ward?
- Powdered Whig - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 1:50 pm:
Methinks that Martinez is still bitter she didn’t get slated to be the Dem Candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court.
In any event, I would like the Alderman and Senator to please inform us who this proposed proxy is and how that person was selected? My guess is that Arroyo or someone close to him had some input as to who this person is.
- low level - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 1:59 pm:
== Why not try to secure 50% without the 36th Ward==
Exactly. If these Committee people spent half as much time
getting votes for another Latino candidate as they do threatening lawsuits and blaming the “machine” , they wouldn’t have to worry as they’d have it wrapped up.
Furthermore, its rather ironic to see Sen Martinez and others blaming the “machine” as one could make strong cases that they themselves are part of that same apparently wretched entity- (the machine, or Organization, or Regulars) or whatever you want to call it.
- Boomerang - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:18 pm:
Cue false outrage in 3…2…1
- Altgelds Ghost - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:19 pm:
Rich misses the point. This is not a fight between good and evil. This is politics. And a play to alter the percentages each ward has to select the next State Rep. If you remove the 36th ward, you remove 39% of the vote, thereby increasing the percentage for all reamining. This move allows the forces close to Preckwinle, led by Martwiock, byt putting their collective total over 50%.
It doesnt matter that there is a third candidate in the race.
Reboyras supported Lightfoot and he survived a very strong challenge in last years election. The 36th ward supported Lightfoot. Martwick was with Preckwinkle and thats what this fight is about. plain and simple. Remeber the press conference a week before election day with Lightfoot and Martwick?
The fact that the Martwick was so arrogant that he would choose Feller, a non-latino, to back just adds insult to the Latino vopters in the 36th Ward.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:22 pm:
they wouldn’t be yelling if the insider was a Latina/o. Latino/a voting population never reflects the proportion it would in other neighborhoods, but the Feller bid is still a bad look for the Dems. Fill Arroyo’s vacancy with a Latina.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:23 pm:
===Rich misses the point. This is not a fight between good and evil===
Did I say it was?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:26 pm:
=== This is politics. And a play to alter the percentages each ward has to select the next State Rep.===
Meh. There’s a new map in 2022, there a primary in March too.
If it was about politics, the play would be to muscle and leverage ethnicity not just Lightfoot v. Preckwinkle
- Powdered Whig - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:33 pm:
=== Rich misses the point. This is not a fight between good and evil. This is politics. And a play to alter the percentages each ward has to select the next State Rep. If you remove the 36th ward, you remove 39% of the vote, thereby increasing the percentage for all reamining. This move allows the forces close to Preckwinle, led by Martwiock, byt putting their collective total over 50%. ===
Please. People need to take off the tin foil hats.
This is about one thing and one thing only - making sure that Arroyo does not further damage to the Democratic Party or the House of Representatives. If he or someone he chooses participates in the process, the process will undoubtedly be tainted. Arroyo should just resign his committeeman post now to put an end to this embarrassing episode.
I also think the Feller thing is a red herring. Nobody (besides maybe Martwick and Feller) honestly believes that Feller will get the appointment do they?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:36 pm:
===do they? ===
No, they don’t. You’re right.
- Downstate Illinois - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 2:42 pm:
I love the idea that the ward committeeman somehow reflects the will of the voters.
- truthtopower - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 3:06 pm:
Downstate Illinois is right…ward committeeman & downstate county chairs don’t represent the will of the voters. Will of the voters is best represented by the voters in special elections. This is how most states fill legislative vacancies. All the problems cited above would be gone with special elections. Missouri just had one last week in a suburban St.L District.
- RealSanta - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 3:28 pm:
“I got this thing.. and its “f-ing” golden”
Granted, this “thing” isn’t golden but maybe copper level but still worth fighting over in Illinois
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
Altgelds Ghost hit the nail squarely on the head. Squarely.
- Latina - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 3:32 pm:
We know just by just Friday with Joyce being sworn in Toi Hutchinson place , minorities are being eliminated. They are scaring the whites in the Legislature.
- Just Me - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 4:32 pm:
ya’ know, it really says something about the corruption in Chicago when legislators are falling over themselves over various schemes to create a corrupt process to replace a corrupt law maker.
- Been There - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 4:51 pm:
=== I love the idea that the ward committeeman somehow reflects the will of the voters.===
Actually what all the committeemen should do is say we will leave the seat vacant until after the primary. Or only appoint a placeholder who is not running in the primary. Then have that person resign and have the committeemen appoint whoever wins the primary. Pie in the sky but you would be giving the voters what they ask for.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 5:06 pm:
The committeeman are elected. It is pretty down ballot, but there have been plenty of contested committeeman elections over the years.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 6:25 pm:
== I love the idea that the ward committeeman somehow reflects the will of the voters.==
I love the idea that someone who adopts the nickname “Downstate” knows what he/she is talking about when it comes to Democratic Ward committeepersons in the city of Chicago.
- Just Me - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 7:22 pm:
===The committeeman are elected. It is pretty down ballot, but there have been plenty of contested committeeman elections over the years.===
And, only primary voters get to participate in that particular election, not that it really matters I guess.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 12, 19 @ 7:27 pm:
=== …only primary voters get to participate in that particular election===
As it should be, those pulling the party ballots, D or R deciding party leaders, in this case committeemen.
===not that it really matters I guess.====
Would you want Dems deciding a GOP committeeman?
Would you want GOPers deciding a Dem committeeman?
There’s a hint or smidge of snark here… but it is what but is.