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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
The oddest political couple in the state’s Democratic Party is teaming up again.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is backing yet another young protégé of progressive U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Chicago) for the Illinois House at a time when other people appear to be distancing themselves from or even challenging the powerful House Speaker.
Madigan will help put state Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) into the Senate to replace soon-to-retire disgraced Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago). Madigan shares Sandoval’s Senate district with Rep. Villanueva, who worked for Garcia when he was a Cook County commissioner and was appointed to the House at Garcia’s request to replace now-Ald. Silvana Tabares (23).
Madigan and Garcia’s operations will gather petition signatures for Villanueva’s Senate bid during a “special” Dec. 3 to Dec. 9 filing period created by Sandoval’s Jan. 1 resignation.
In Villanueva’s place, Madigan will back Edgar Gonzales, a constituent services liaison for Congressman Garcia’s district office. Gonzales is a Harvard graduate, but is otherwise a lifelong resident of the area. He filed petitions last week to run for the seat in the spring primary after the Madigan and Garcia operations spent the weekend going door to door with him. If all goes well, he’ll also be appointed to the House seat after Sandoval officially retires and Villanueva moves to the Senate.
Both Madigan’s 13th Ward and his 22nd House District are majority Latinx. He has the “regular” vote already sewn up, of course, so his big favors for the progressive Latino pol Garcia prevent any significant challenge to his local power and influence, and even to some extent his statewide influence, from his left flank.
This alliance also helps Madigan deal with the anger from some Northwest Side Latinos allied with former Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago), who appointed Eva-Dina Delgado to Arroyo’s seat after Arroyo was arrested by the feds and resigned, despite local support for another candidate from the party’s left wing, Nidia Carranza. The appointment was against Madigan’s wishes. The pols have threatened a federal civil rights lawsuit if Madigan follows through on his threat to challenge Rep. Delgado’s qualifications and ejects her from his chamber.
One of those politicians, Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago), has called on Madigan to resign his state party leadership unless he explains his involvement with his former consigliere Mike McClain’s secret bid to funnel money to Kevin Quinn after Quinn, the brother of Madigan’s alderman, was accused of sexual harassment.
Garcia, in turn, expands his influence over city and state politics without having to expend much effort. That’s a big plus for Garcia because he didn’t do well at all in City Council races earlier this year. Garcia’s candidates lost two races on the Southwest Side (Ald. Ed Burke’s 14th and Ald. Ray Lopez’s 15th), the Pilsen-centered 25th Ward and another on the Northwest Side against Ald. Ariel Reboyras, who took the lead in backing Eva-Dina Delgado’s appointment to the House.
Reboyras was the first to threaten a lawsuit if Delgado is drummed out of the House by Madigan. Reboyras voted Arroyo’s 36th Ward proxy at the meeting to appoint Delgado.
Ald. Ed Burke’s 14th Ward is majority Latinx, but he is going “old school” Chicago on his Latino challenger. Burke was indicted on a 14-count corruption charge last summer, but he’s stubbornly refusing to go away.
Freshman state Rep. Aaron Ortiz (D-Chicago) defeated Ald. Burke’s brother Rep. Dan Burke in the 2018 Democratic primary with Garcia’s help. Ortiz then decided to challenge Ald. Burke for 14th Ward Democratic committeeperson. But, on the last day of the petition filing period, Alicia Elena Martinez filed to run against Rep. Ortiz in the House district and also filed to run for committeeperson against Burke and Ortiz. What’s going on?
Martinez is an active member of Ald. Burke’s ward organization. This is a classic put-up job.
Martinez’s candidacy should help split the Latinx vote in the ward race between herself and Ortiz, which could help Burke get the most votes. She’s also likely an insurance policy should something bad happen to the indicted pol before primary day.
The Martinez challenge of Rep. Ortiz is also designed to force the incumbent House member to choose which race he wants to focus on, his re-election bid or the committeeperson job.
Burke is playing hardball to the end and Ortiz has very little money to fight. He had just $5K in his campaign bank account at the end of the third quarter and, as I write this, has reported raising $16K since then. Burke has over $9 million in his two campaign funds.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 8:44 am
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No where in this column is discussed what is best for the voters; it’s all about what is best for the political bosses. Nobody cares about us measly voters as long as we keep opening up our wallets.
Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 8:56 am
Will Chuy’s guy in the 1st Senate District (Munoz) survive a peition challenge?
Comment by Aviary Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:13 am
Rich,
Great stuff, you cover all the angles, and knowing how the pieces fit as as important as what the pieces are and the why to them.
To the Post,
By Garcia and Madigan working together, it’s going to stop the usual antics of muscling in machine politics, ironically, when the neighborhoods and precincts scream for other choices.
The ward committeeman spot is as important right now on in perception than the Alderman gig. Otherwise the idea of forcing that play would seem less than what is actually there.
Good stuff, now we’ll see how can make what they want… happen.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:14 am
===what is best for the voters===
The voters make that decision.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:14 am
===Will Chuy’s guy in the 1st===
I do not know if that’s his guy.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:15 am
At least they didn’t try to put Kevin Quinn in the spot
Comment by Betcha by golly wow Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:19 am
Good column. I wonder if Garcia’s continuing support and alliance with Madigan will come back to haunt him like Preckwinkle’s alliance with Burke hurt her. Also, I think you found a good epitaph for Alderman Burke — he played “hardball” to the end.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:26 am
=== Will Chuy’s guy in the 1st ===
Let’s not forget that Sen. Muñoz got his seat by beating Garcia many years ago. And that Muñoz has been an ally of Daley, Emmanuel, and Victor Reyes— all enemies of Garcia. That said, there looks to be a marriage of convenience forming now that Muñoz is looking around and seeing very few of his traditional allies still standing.
Comment by Soutside Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:33 am
===That said, there looks to be a marriage of convenience forming now===
Again, I do not believe that Froy is the Chuy candidate.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:41 am
Can you still be progressive if you’re backed by Madigan?
Comment by Southwest Shenanigans Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:54 am
The Chuy Madigan alliance will hold as long as Madigan is still in office……but watch and see how fast Chuy has “his guy or gal” run for Alderman in the 13th Ward when that’s not the case.
Comment by Druid Eye Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 9:55 am
Doesn’t Munoz have a race fir his Committeeman seat?
Comment by Chewbacca Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 10:04 am
Froy was not put in the race by Garcia. He’s acting independently of everybody.
Muñoz has a committeeman race against Cardenas.
We’ll see if Cardenas stays in that race.
Southside politics is a little fluid right now.
We’ll see how the musical chairs plays out.
Comment by Soutside Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 11:49 am
Froy have a shot against Munoz?
Comment by But does... Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 11:52 am
“Froy have a shot against Munoz?”
Highly unlikely
Comment by McKinley Bob Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 11:54 am
Soutside has the proper take.
To spell it out a little more, the real hot rivalry is Cardenas versus Munoz. Both come from HDO, both were anti-Garcia.
Now Cardenas has sided with Garcia and Munoz is making nice with the Democratic Socialists.
Cardenas and Munoz went head to head for the committee spot in the last cycle, Munoz won. That was before the asphalt plant came that has badly tarnished Cardenas in the 12th ward.
Cardenas was passing petitions for Senate this round but obviously that didn’t go anywhere.
Comment by McKinley Bob Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 12:01 pm
Froy regularly garners under 5 likes and retweets on his Twitter feed. The O/U on his vote total (if he doesn’t get knocked off the ballot) is 250.
Comment by Soutside Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 12:18 pm
Munoz also has a literal old school street team army of relatives/in-laws, including designated precinct captains, who do regular door knocking and base building in the district. He has someone at just about every event that takes place here.
Funny story about Froy that adds to Soutside’s point. During the Chicago elections this cycle Cardenas claimed a CTU endorsement that he didn’t earn. All the other Aldermanic candidates gathered to denounce this false endorsement. Who was there to lead the charge against Cardenas in an opening speech? It was Froy (CTU member) who gave the fiery talk about shady politics on the southwest side.
Now that Froy is running against Munoz, you better believe things have shifted a little in that relationship. Cardenas will almost 100% endorse him now that its clear he himself wont be on the ballot.
By the way Froy does not appear to be shady compared to how they play the “beanbag” down here. He just doesn’t have the money, recognition, or organization to make it work versus a vet like Munoz.
Comment by McKinley Bob Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 12:29 pm
There are a lot of progessive and/or DSA-affiliated Latinos in the city that have gotten their candidates elected lately and that probably has the establishment Latino politicians on their toes.
Comment by Chicagonk Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 12:31 pm
Some see the Madigan-Chuy deal as Chuy needing Madigan. Maybe, but I see it as the Chuy train leaving the station and everyone who wants a political future jumping on board. Chuy picks up 2 more seats in the GA - he’s progressive but pragmatic. His only concern is his left flank from ultra progressives who wouldn’t think of cutting any deal with 13/23.
Comment by Too-da-loo-mf Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 12:37 pm
- And that Muñoz has been an ally of Daley, Emmanuel, and Victor Reyes— all enemies of Garcia.
Your information is 2 decades old.
As of now, Chuy is fully onboard w/those old HDO hacks.
Comment by dying HDO Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 1:54 pm
Speaker: “Sandoval?…Sandoval who?”
Comment by Billy Sunday Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 2:49 pm
-As of now, Chuy is fully onboard w/those old HDO hacks
Or they’re on board with Chuy. Btw, there’s only Munoz and Martinez left of the original HDO members
Comment by Too-da-loo-mf Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 2:53 pm
I doubt that Chuy has any arrangement with Sen. Muñoz or that he wants any role in the committeeman’s race in 12.
To the extent that there are politicians who came from the HDO, I doubt that it’s really that significant at this time.
Progressive politicians & Machine politicians will have alliances, based on interests at the moment.
Comment by Chicago Guy Monday, Dec 9, 19 @ 5:00 pm