*** UPDATED x1 *** Mayoral race odd couples
Friday, Feb 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, a powerful voice in the African-American community, has endorsed Chicago mayoral candidate Bill Daley, he said Thursday night.
“The future of this city is dependent on us to get this election right,” Rush, a Chicago Democrat, said by phone. “I believe that Bill Daley has the national and international connections to drive economic development from the central city to the outlying communities and neighborhoods. We are suffering, and have been suffering, from decadeslong disinvestment in our neighborhoods.” […]
They both supported Chris Kennedy for the Democratic nomination in the Illinois governor’s race. Daley worked as Kennedy’s head of finances, and Rush endorsed the candidate. Later it was reported that Rush’s son and brother were on Kennedy’s payroll. […]
“I have for years and years wanted to see another African-American as mayor of the city of Chicago,” [Rush] said. “However, for this election, I think Bill Daley is the wise choice for my community. He’s tuned in to the lack of opportunities that a significant population of this city suffer under.”
*** UPDATE *** Emil Jones, too?…
* NBC 5…
Long-time proven vote-getter Dorothy Brown passed the torch to Amara Enyia on Thursday, endorsing her in the race for Chicago mayor.
Brown was removed from the ballot for not having enough signatures, and at least five other candidates spoke to her about winning her endorsement.
“The woman that I believe will be the next mayor of the city of Chicago, Amara Enyia!” Brown declared to a room full of cheers.
Reports have claimed for years that Brown has been under the microscope of a federal investigation, and though she was never charged, it brings questions to this endorsement.
* ABC 7…
“It’s time for honesty, integrity, to put that back into city government,” Brown said.
It’s a comment that might strike some voters as strange coming from Brown, who has been under investigation by the FBI for an alleged scheme to sell jobs and promotions in her office. Enyia dismissed those concerns.
“Well, I have no say or control over what the FBI does or the nature of these investigations. I think, again, at the end of the day, we just have to make sure that the process plays itself out,” Enyia said.
* Sun-Times…
Another veteran Democratic operative not aligned with any of the mayoral candidates said Brown’s support among older African-American voters carries “only upside” for Enyia.
“It’s not like anyone is running away with this race. Everyone is within single digits of each other. So, even these small things matter,” the operative said.
The operative noted that there are “multiple options for every voter out there,” a “remarkable” development that is likely to produce “two run-off candidates barely scratching at 20 percent.”
“If I were Amara, I’d try to utilize having Chance on her side. Try to generate some energy in a race that lacks energy with no real momentum candidate. I’m not saying she will be that. But, she has just as good a chance to do that as any of the others,” the operative said.
