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Local Elections Roundup

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[Note: View Rich Miller’s commentary from last night on some of the aldermanic races, plus links to other stories by clicking here.]

* Reilly headed to City Council

* Rounding up other aldermanic races

* Mark Brown: Jackson’s win shocks political dynasty’s boss ‘hog’

* Night of upsets

If it was a bad day for incumbents, it was a good day for the unions that targeted them for opposing the failed big-box ordinance that would have required large retailers to pay their workers more.

“I don’t know how you spin this other than a very big night for organized labor,” said Jerry Morrison, executive director of the Service Employee International Union’s State Council, predicting that Daley will face a more independent Council. “This is a new day dawning, brother.”

* Incumbents struggle all election night

* Tough fights throughout the city

* Corruption hurts Troutman, Daley gets away unscathed

* Kristen McQueary: Some up some down in election

* Embattled Troutman (CBS2 video clip) ousted, and other aldermanic victims

* Rugai reelected to fifth term

* Upstart topples Natarus (CBS2 video clip), unions help many in northside

* Race summaries in the 10th, 14th, 18th , 23rd

* Expectedly low primary turnout numbers

* Incumbent Davlin pleased with results, far ahead of Strom

* Zion mayor trounces challengers

* No surprises in southwest suburbs

* Naperville mayor wins big in primary

* Mayors ahead big in Naperville and Zion

* Incumbent mayors win in Elgin and Hoffman Estates

* This was the easy part, says Daley

* Daley cruises to historic election victory

* Sun-Times Editorial: Daley has his work cut out for him

* Tribune Editorial: Chicagoans voting on Chicago with Daley

* Editorial: Victory comes much too easy for Daley

* Neil Steinberg: A vote for Daley in spirit

* DeValle keeps Clerk’s office

posted by Paul Richardson
Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 8:38 am

Comments

So, what’s the rubber-stamp-ratio on the Chicago City Council now? Higher or lower?

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 8:42 am
I can’t believe Natarus wasn’t politically savvy enough to put another candidate up. It would have at least gotten him into a runoff.
Rich, I know you think Reilly’s victory was a big surprise to everyone except you but I think a lot of the old school knew it was time for him to go and they were not shedding any tears and knew he would lose. Even Daley.

Comment by anon Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 8:53 am
I hear the Jackson’s are serving Rocky Mountain Oysters at their victory luncheon today.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 9:01 am
Ginger had a very nice and well earned victory. Western Ave. is hopping with activity getting ready for the biggest neighborhood parade in American - The South Side St. Paddy’s Day Parade.

Streets and Sanitation trucks were all over the side streets patching pot-holes. Thanks Boys and Girls! And - the election is over!

Comment by Pat Hickey Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 9:32 am
I’m with Neil Steinberg today….

Comment by thomas paine Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 9:44 am
Steinberg’s piece today is a Masterpiece!

Qui docet discit

Comment by Pat Hickey Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:04 am
Completely agree that Natarus was no surprise — Rich, I know you have been gushing all over Reilly but it wasn’t that Reilly ran an outstanding campaign — all that was needed in that race was someone to run a somewhat decent campaign and a pretty decent war chest. Rich Gordon, a Republican, did pretty ok against Natarus four years ago with hardly any money. Natarus is a mega-goof who is not well-liked by his residents. Reilly, on the other hand, is extremely arrogant — other than Rich, I find that most people have nothing good to say about him.

Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:08 am
“Just Observing” on Feb. 9th…

===I agree that Natarus is a nut case and is time for him to go, but I still canâ€™t get out of my system my disgust for Brendan Reilly.

I only met him once â€” at Rep. Fritcheyâ€™s Chicago PAC event â€” I was interested in meeting Brendan because I knew Natarus was vulnerable and nuts.

Brendan Reilly was so arrogant and rude to me, that Iâ€™m still bitter. When I have brought this up to friends of his and individuals who work on his campaign â€” not once has anyone disagreed that he can be a jerk â€” and these are his friends and staff.===

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:11 am
Rich… yes, I did say that on Feb. 9th.

It only further proves my point — many people have bad things to say about him.

Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:33 am
You can’t on the one hand say that you can’t get it out of your head that Reilly is a jerk, pee all over him, and then claim there was “no surprise” that Natarus lost.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:36 am
At the Reilly victory party last night and through election day there was a definite sense of a changing of the guard. Though Reilly got support from all different groups and ages, the people helming his campaign tended to be relatively young political up-and-comers (see Skeeter’s earlier post about Adam Gypalo). It will be very interesting twenty years hence to see where some of the movers and shakers on Reilly’s campaign wind up. I’m not comparing it to the ‘84 Simon race, but it was a very talented, very hungry bunch. Reilly beat Natarus because Reilly and his crew just outworked Natarus and co., consistently, from November until 6:55 p.m. yesterday. I worked Reilly’s phonebank yesterday and we kicked a**. We wound up with a ton of uneaten food because people wouldn’t leave the phones to go take rest breaks.

Comment by ZC Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 10:54 am
Rich,

I bet you get hundreds requests from candidates begging for your endorsement?

Comment by Garp Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 11:03 am
Squideshi, who knows? There have been aldermen who won on independent platforms in the past but promptly fell in line with Daley. There are several Daley stalwarts in Matlak, Stone, and Vi Daley who face fierce competition in the April runoffs. Conversely aldermen on the outs with Daley including Moore and Brookins face hotly contested runoffs, too.

Comment by Tom Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 11:33 am
Rich… I disagree with your analysis that I can’t find both Natarus a goof and Reilly a jerk… nonetheles, no sense in beating a dead horse… thans for providing a forum where alternative view points are allowed… even in cases of your friends.

Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 12:07 pm
Rich, are you trying to say that the man who put horses asses in diapers was beaten by a horses ass in diapers?

Comment by Punley Dieter Finn Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 12:28 pm
PDF!

ONE FOR THE BOOK!

Comment by Pat Hickey Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 12:39 pm
PDF… LOL… no.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 28, 07 @ 11:52 pm
SEIU forget to mention that they had endorsed Carina Sanchez in the 12th ward. She was given one of the highest amount of money and support from SEIU, and didn’t win. Not even a runoff. I am dissapointed that our hard working dues were spent on someone who was hardly qualified to run, yet alone independent as she claimed.

Comment by Hard Working Union Member Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 8:45 am