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The big story of Mayor Daley’s announcement yesterday wasn’t what he said, but what he filed. I’m not sure if this means his organization is a hollow shell or he wants it to look that way, but, anyway, here’s the story.
Although Daley’s announcement was a scripted show of force, his nominating petitions showed a potential sign of weakness. The mayor filed only 24,160 signatures — fewer than twice the legal requirement and at least 14,000 fewer than mayoral challenger Bill “Dock” Walls. It was the first time in six mayoral elections that a challenger filed more signatures than Daley did.
Four years ago, the mayor filed a wheelbarrow filled with 140,000 signatures. But that was before the city hiring scandal — and before Daley demanded that Democratic precinct workers who circulated petitions swear they were promised no jobs, promotions or benefits.
“People are no longer willing to work for Daley if they can’t be assured a job, a promotion or a contract,” Walls said.
Even bigger news was the interest in aldermanic races.
“We think we’re going to probably if not beat, possibly meet where we were in 1991,” said Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. “We hear that there’s going to be a lot of candidates per ward.”
By day’s end, 37 of the 47 sitting alderman were facing challengers, and 12 hopefuls had filed for the open seats in the 7th, 8th and 18th wards, where the incumbents have moved on to other elected offices.
“It’s indicative of the interest the people have in local government,” said Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), dean of the City Council. “Municipal government is really where the rubber meets the road.”
And Natarus tries to put the best spin on a dire situation.
Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd), who has been on the council since 1971, filed for re-election just moments after Brendan Reilly joined the race. Reilly is a former aide to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“I think I’ll be OK,” Natarus told reporters as Reilly stood a few feet away.
Natarus is in the fight of his life, but I’m not sure he realizes it yet.
I have some YouTube videos about filing day, but the site appears to be bloggered for now (thanks, Google) so check back here a little later.
*** UPDATE *** YouTube is back online, and here are the promised videos, which were posted by 50th Ward candidate Naisy Dolar. That fight in 50 is gonna be interesting. The best news for the broken down warhorse incumbent Bernie Stone is that he faces two strong opponents, who could cancel each other out. Otherwise, this would be one of the hottest races in the city. Dolar, by the way, seems to handle herself well in front of the cameras.
ABC7…
NBC5…
WTTW…
*** UPDATE 2 *** In case you were wondering after seeing the NBC5 report, Joe Moore’s opponent Jim Ginderske has not yet filed any campaign finance reports beyond the usual creating the committee stuff.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 10:04 am
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The low number of petitions would be a grave concern if the the petitions were also of low quality and one of the opponents was able to mount a petition challenge. What will be really interesting to see is which ward organizations circulated and produced petition signatures for the Mayor. In the absence of real competition, the inside baseball news is all we’ll have for entertainment this Winter…oh, and the very exciting and incredibly meaningful battles for aldermanic seats.
Comment by Punley Deiter Finn Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 11:04 am
Natarus knows he is up against it. I already got a mailer from him. I don’t recall anything from his campaign four years ago.
Plus, unlike 2003, his opponent is all over the 42nd. In 2003 people voted for “opponent.” This year they will know the person they are voting for. Natarus won by only 600 votes last time, with no real opponent.
Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 11:17 am
In regards to your second update; it should not come as a shock that Jim Ginderske (running for 49th Ward Alderman) or most other challengers have yet to file any campaign finance reports beyond the D-1 form to create the campaign committee. If the committee in question was formed after July 1 of this year (which would be the case for most first-time candidates) and the committee did not participate on behalf of a candidate running in the November elections (which again would be fairly common, as the aldermanic hopefuls would not want to antagonize potential supporters by taking sides in another race), Ginderske and the others would not be filing anything until after the first of the year. Their Semi-Annual D-2 report will have to be filed by January 31. The Pre-election D-2 report will have to be turned in between January 29 and February 13 (the committees will get an extra day to file those reports because the normal deadline date will fall on February 12, Lincoln’s Birthday, when the State Board of Elections will be closed).
Rich, you should know better.
Comment by fedup dem Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 12:55 pm
“Fedup,” other candidates have filed finance reports. I do know better.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 12:57 pm
In a nonpartisan primary with a runoff, how could multiple candidates possibly cancel each other out? It seems to me that the more candidates running, the more likely it is that the incumbent won’t make it to 50% plus 1 and avoid a runoff.
Dare I hope that both Natarus and Stone are ejected from the Council by the voters? Be still my beating heart…
Comment by Chicago Jason Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 1:30 pm
“Jason,” you’ll find out once the Machine gets to focus its energy on a small handful of runoffs, although it admittedly had major setbacks last time. Still, longtime incumbent Machine candidates can more easily raise the money it takes for two contests spaced just weeks apart and their “volunteers” seem to do better the more times they “visit” with voters.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 1:44 pm
Before becoming a activist in the 49th ward, before deciding to run for Alderman, Jim was a guest blogger for the ‘Broken Heart’.
Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 3:25 pm
Wow Daley could be in trouble. If Daley is in as much trouble as Walls is trying to say he is then that means that we could be saying Mayor Dorothy Brown ( since she has a lot more money than Walls). I wish I could run for aldermen for the 43rd Ward.
Comment by JakeCP Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 4:32 pm
I just passed a woman on a street corner circulating petitions for Dorothy Brown. Is she going to have enough to file?
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 4:42 pm
Daley’s campaign says they vetted the petitions before they submitted them to eliminate any challengable signatures.
Comment by thomas paine Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 4:42 pm
Jack CP said…..>“I wish I could run for aldermen for the 43rd Ward.”
I hope you don’t use that book blow up stunt as your campaign mantra. I’m still not buying it.
Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 4:57 pm
Bill, regarding the earlier thread, did I say I was supporting Haithcock in the 2nd Ward race? Heck no! I am not supporting her and certainly not Far-Out Fioretti.
In this campaign we will discover just how Far Out Fioretti is.
Comment by Mike Williams Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 5:04 pm
I like Bob Fioretti, but I think he is using the name “Democrat” to patch over the fact that he certainly no stranger to the Republicans, and has been known to attend an event once in a while. Larry Doody (brother of Republican County Commissioner Elizabeth Doody Gorman) is in somewhat the same boat. They are “Blue Violet Democrats” - mostly blue, but there certainly is some red in there someplace. In the presence of Republicans, they can redden their hue at will.
But then, this is Chicago, where Republicans are Democrats, and vice versa. Around here, you can’t even tell the TEAMS, much less the players, without a scorecard.
It’s giving me a headache just to think about it.
Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 5:50 pm
Since I don’t live in the ward, I don’t really care who wins as long as it is not Maddie. Although, I must say Bubs, if you like Bob, Ill probably go with Askew.
Comment by Bill Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 5:59 pm
I love Naisy Dolar - I think that she will recommend the district well!
Comment by MinGOP Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 8:43 pm
Bill, I apologize - I didn’t realize your stature! Since you use silly reasoning to make decisions on topics of which you know little, it is obvious that you must hold a key post in the Blagojevich Administration.
Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 9:22 pm
It’s so amusing how even after election day Broken Heart still picks on me. Part of me really wants Vi Daley to win re-election.
Comment by JakeCP Tuesday, Dec 12, 06 @ 11:04 pm
Bubs,
Since you supported Tony “storm the bastille” Peraica, you are in no position to talk about silly reasoning.
Comment by Bill Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 4:44 am
Bill, 46% of the County, including a lot of Democrats, did too, and he didn’t storm anything. Curb your dogma.
Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 1:15 pm
Mike is 100% correct about Fioretti. On Monday, he held a “Town Hall” Meeting at a local Chicago Public School in the ward in the South Loop. As if using taxpayer resources for a political cause wasn’t enough, the mailers he sent us didn’t arrive until the day after the meeting. I am told only three people showed up.
Oops!!!
Comment by Fioretti's Foul-Ups Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 1:18 pm
Jake CP said….>“It’s so amusing how even after election day Broken Heart still picks on me.”
Elections come and go, but there’s only one lonelygirl115 of politics, and that’s you Jake CP.
Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 3:18 pm
Referencing Fioretti’s Foul-Ups comments, I have lived in the south loop for over 7 years. I have never seen the currrent Alderman. Fioretti has a good message and knows the issues important to my area. Regardless of what parties he may attend. He is my candidate and I know that as I see all the other candidates like doody and askew stealing his platform cause they cant come up with their own.
Comment by southlooper Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 8:59 pm
Hi Rich.
Rich posted:
> I do know better.
I’d like to understand the filing deadlines better, thanks.
Can you please expand on what you were saying when you posted:
> Ginderske has not yet filed any campaign finance reports beyond the usual creating the committee stuff.
Has Ginderske missed some mandatory filing deadlines?
Or when you posted
> … other candidates have filed finance reports.
..are you saying Ginderske COULD have made some optional filings but did not?
Thanks
Comment by Hugh Sunday, Dec 17, 06 @ 11:29 am
Southlooper, Firoetti is a Republican. Do you think that fact is going to play out well in that ward?
David Askew has a very impressive resume and a gift for connecting with people. He’s the one to beat in this race. If it comes down to Askew and Fioretti in a runoff, it will be Askew. Mark my words. His field operation will crush Fioretti. Ask me how I know
.
Comment by Bridget Dooley Tuesday, Dec 19, 06 @ 12:51 am
ok Dooley. I have seen askew speak and he doesnt have a platform of his own. Ive spoken with askew but really didnt “connect” with him. I had thought about the republican line but fioretti has voted democrat all his life. will see…
do tell about the field.. i’d be curious to know..
Comment by southlooper Tuesday, Dec 19, 06 @ 1:01 pm
There are 3 candidates running against Bernie Stone in the 50th Ward. Greg Brewer, Naisy Dolar and Salman Aftab. The 50th is ready for change and new ideas. If Sal Aftab can pull out the muslim, Pakastani, Assyarian, Indian and host of other ethnic votes he can pull off an upset. At least Aftab can throw this race into a run-off if not win it in Feb. The three challengers have one common rally cry , “Beat Bernie”. I see Brewer, Dolar and Aftab playing nice with one another and pounding Stone at every turn. See ya on Devon.
Comment by Dave Mad Dog Madlener Friday, Dec 22, 06 @ 9:54 am
Mad Dog,
I suggest you walk down to Devon and see how many Muslims, Indians, Pakistanis, etc. would be willing to vote for Mr. Salman Aftab. No, really–take a survey of how many would support him. I guarantee you you’ll get less than 3%. As a member of the Al-Jamiah mosque of Chicago, he has never had any endorsement by our organization or by any credible Muslim business on Devon street. I would be appreciative if you could post even three reliable businesses or institutions from West Devon (where many South Asians reside) that would support him. You probably won’t get them. The reason: Mr. Aftab has a very notorious and bad reputation among his own people. He is willing to slander, condescend and despicably verbalize anyone in order to bolster his self-interests. This is clearly demonstrated by his website that solely has been setup to attack Alderman Stone. I understand that candidates try to discredit other candidates and incumbents during election time. But he has taken it to another level! Tell me- what good will it do to criticize the Daley administration with such harsh words? Does he actually think anyone will vocally side with him? Does he think he can win by simply attacking Alderman Stone? Mr. Aftab may have solid reasoning behind his solutions, but he has no class. His tactics are so aggressive that he seems like a criminal–oh excuse me. He is a criminal.
Comment by Faisal Mumtaz Monday, Jan 22, 07 @ 1:07 pm
To add to Mr. Mumtaz’ comments - at the IVI-IPO Endorsement Session for the 50th Ward - Aftab said the 50th was now a “dumping ground” for Section 8 holders - when asked how he knew that given that a Section 8 voucher is confidential Aftab said his developer friends had told him. Also disclosed at the session was the fact that Greg Brewer has voted only three times since 1999.
Comment by Disgusted West Rogers Park Resident Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 12:17 pm