19th Ward 75% Turnout Is a Signal 'Engaged and Informed' WBEZ Ignores

“Chicago is pretty evenly split in terms of demographics and voting participation. You have to build a coalition to govern with the city council and he’s going to have to deal with the aldermen in those wards,” - from Southtown Star's best and Chicago's most honest news reporter Steve Metsch reporting the words of a professor of political science.

Last night I listened to a special show on 848 a panel on WBEZ -no kidding. It was the usual stuff. A diverse cross-section of activists and Progressive thinkers told us what is really, really important.

Mayor Elect Rahm Emanuel will be joined by some new faces at City Council. And 14 aldermanic races appear to be headed for April runoffs. We know some of the winners and losers, but what does it all mean? To find out Eight Forty-Eight was joined by a group of engaged and informed listeners, and a panel of political experts. The panel included Maria de Los Angeles Torres, director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune and WGN, Dick Simpson from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Department of Political Science, and Kyra Kyles from Chicago Tribune's Red Eye.

No Ward organization precinct captains, or committeemen, no cops or fire representatives, no helots - working stiffs from Edison Park, Garfield Ridge, Canaryville, or Morgan Park, only engaged and informed listeners need apply.

In fact the only panelist speaking standard and clear Chicagoese was the great Rick Kogan. Click my post title and give it a listen.

Rick Kogan spoke of the youth vote and related a tale in which a young earnest man in the Tribune fibbed about voting - he did not and was one of about 800,000 other registered voters who did not.

Well, the helots voted. In my 19th Ward home to thousands of cops, firemen, City and County workers, professionals, teachers, and the odd sprinkling of activists, bust-outs and lay-abouts living in Mom's basement until crooks and thieves get right with Jesus, we voted from the opening bell in January to the song by the chubby girl.

There is a Ward Organization - recently, it has been described by Chicago Renaissance Man Mike Houlihan as 'The Balkans.' There is diversity of opinion -very strong opinions - and it is effective. In fact, the young Committeeman Matt O'Shea, a splendid chap in my opinion, garnered more than 61% of the vote and will be our Alderman.

Listen to the WBEZ and take a drink of Old Style every time conversation and discussion is used in this gab-fest on real politik from passionate coalition talkers and you will be drunker than a skunk.

WBEZ talkers want engaged conversation. Conversation must be engaged and informed . . . and sit out there in ozone.

Rick Kogan nails it.

Rick Kogan was appalled, and rightly so, by the lack of commitment by Chicago's registered voters. However, the 19th Ward voted - 75% of the registered voters got off their rumps and voted. Gery Chico won the Ward. Gery Chico was endorsed by Cops, Firemen and many of the Skilled Trades Unions and also by former 19th Ward neighbor Paul Vallas.

The 19th Ward voters voted. That should get the attention of the Mayor elect. It plum evaded the engaged and informed listeners and cheerleaders at WBEZ.

I'm a gabby dude, but I voted. 800,000 Chicagoans did not. They did not vote too heavily in WBEZ demographic Wards -home to the engaged and informed listeners. On the south side, we helots have an appropriate aphorism - Only Suckers Beef.

Rahm Emanuel is the Mayor elect. Come May 16th, Mayor Rahm Emanuel will need committed voters who actually vote. Nice numbers where I live..


Mayor results, ward-by-ward
More results:

Summary »

Mayor, ward-by-ward »

Clerk, ward-by-ward »

Referenda »

This site does not report results in uncontested races.

Visit the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners for more information »

Hover over vote percentages to see the vote count. These results are updated less frequently than the summary.

Ward Turnout Emanuel Chico del Valle Braun Van Pelt-
Watkins Walls % Asian* % Black* % Hispanic % White*
Chicago
41.6% 54.8% 23.8% 9.2% 8.9% 1.6% 0.9% 5.4% 32.4% 28.9% 31.7%
1st 35.0% 53.9% 21.8% 21.5% 1.4% 0.4% 0.3% 4.0% 4.8% 34.2% 54.8%
2nd 39.7% 64.0% 16.3% 6.4% 9.6% 2.2% 0.8% 13.7% 34.7% 7.2% 41.7%
3rd 40.1% 57.8% 11.2% 4.5% 21.1% 2.9% 1.6% 4.1% 77.2% 8.2% 8.7%
4th 48.3% 59.1% 9.6% 8.4% 17.7% 2.5% 2.1% 7.5% 70.0% 3.3% 16.2%
5th 44.8% 62.0% 9.2% 7.0% 16.7% 2.9% 1.6% 4.0% 73.7% 3.0% 16.9%
6th 42.6% 58.3% 8.6% 3.0% 23.7% 3.6% 2.1% 0.1% 97.0% 1.0% 0.5%
7th 40.6% 59.2% 9.9% 3.7% 21.1% 3.5% 1.8% 0.2% 88.7% 7.7% 1.7%
8th 43.3% 58.9% 8.9% 3.4% 22.7% 3.3% 2.2% 0.1% 96.5% 1.4% 0.6%
9th 35.1% 58.7% 9.8% 2.6% 22.6% 3.7% 2.0% 0.1% 92.3% 4.9% 1.6%
10th 41.3% 34.8% 52.3% 7.8% 2.9% 0.7% 0.5% 0.3% 24.4% 57.7% 16.6%
11th 44.5% 42.2% 46.6% 9.0% 1.0% 0.3% 0.3% 30.7% 3.2% 34.0% 31.0%
12th 36.1% 28.2% 51.0% 16.9% 1.7% 0.6% 0.4% 3.6% 15.8% 72.2% 7.9%
13th 58.3% 36.7% 49.3% 10.9% 1.6% 0.4% 0.4% 0.8% 4.1% 71.9% 22.5%
14th 45.7% 24.4% 60.2% 13.2% 0.9% 0.4% 0.2% 1.7% 1.9% 87.8% 8.4%
15th 29.1% 53.1% 15.8% 6.0% 19.4% 3.2% 1.5% 0.2% 59.7% 36.0% 3.1%
16th 28.9% 50.5% 18.1% 6.0% 19.9% 2.8% 1.5% 0.2% 53.4% 43.5% 2.1%
17th 32.9% 59.8% 7.8% 2.3% 22.8% 4.8% 1.8% 0.1% 97.1% 1.4% 0.4%
18th 44.7% 52.2% 20.3% 4.3% 17.7% 3.2% 1.7% 0.4% 67.9% 22.1% 8.5%
19th 74.3% 37.4% 49.3% 6.2% 5.3% 0.9% 0.5% 0.6% 26.6% 5.5% 65.9%
20th 33.1% 55.5% 12.2% 4.9% 20.9% 3.5% 2.1% 1.2% 78.1% 15.3% 4.0%
21st 39.5% 59.0% 8.8% 2.6% 23.0% 4.0% 1.9% 0.0% 97.3% 1.0% 0.6%
22nd 30.5% 26.9% 43.4% 24.8% 3.0% 0.6% 0.2% 0.1% 5.1% 92.6% 1.9%
23rd 58.1% 36.7% 53.3% 6.9% 1.7% 0.4% 0.3% 0.9% 3.8% 47.3% 47.3%
24th 31.3% 59.0% 9.0% 3.2% 21.9% 4.2% 1.6% 0.2% 88.3% 9.2% 1.4%
25th 39.3% 35.6% 39.9% 18.5% 2.4% 0.6% 0.4% 14.8% 7.8% 58.7% 17.3%
26th 31.6% 38.0% 21.2% 35.9% 2.7% 0.8% 0.3% 1.3% 12.9% 60.3% 24.0%
27th 33.5% 62.9% 14.2% 8.3% 10.5% 2.4% 0.9% 4.3% 41.9% 17.6% 34.6%
28th 29.2% 59.7% 9.3% 3.9% 20.3% 4.1% 1.4% 0.4% 81.4% 14.9% 2.4%
29th 36.0% 59.8% 11.5% 5.0% 18.5% 2.9% 1.4% 1.0% 65.1% 28.0% 4.9%
30th 29.9% 41.2% 31.0% 24.6% 1.5% 0.6% 0.3% 1.9% 4.0% 73.2% 19.7%
31st 30.9% 37.7% 34.4% 25.7% 1.1% 0.4% 0.2% 1.6% 2.9% 80.7% 14.0%
32nd 39.7% 66.7% 19.8% 10.9% 1.2% 0.4% 0.3% 4.5% 3.9% 10.8% 78.7%
33rd 39.8% 55.0% 22.5% 19.8% 1.4% 0.6% 0.4% 8.4% 3.7% 54.2% 31.4%
34th 38.9% 59.4% 8.9% 2.4% 22.7% 3.9% 2.1% 0.1% 96.1% 1.3% 1.3%
35th 37.8% 44.0% 22.4% 30.9% 1.4% 0.6% 0.3% 2.8% 4.6% 58.2% 32.7%
36th 48.1% 49.7% 36.9% 9.5% 2.4% 0.5% 0.4% 3.5% 5.6% 33.1% 56.4%
37th 29.8% 60.1% 11.0% 5.4% 18.6% 2.6% 1.1% 0.5% 63.0% 33.5% 2.2%
38th 44.5% 53.3% 33.5% 11.1% 0.7% 0.5% 0.4% 4.7% 1.5% 34.5% 57.7%
39th 43.6% 58.1% 28.1% 11.2% 1.2% 0.4% 0.4% 17.7% 3.4% 33.8% 41.8%
40th 42.0% 61.2% 19.6% 15.8% 1.8% 0.7% 0.4% 15.7% 8.7% 23.3% 49.2%
41st 53.8% 42.1% 49.7% 6.4% 0.7% 0.4% 0.3% 5.1% 1.0% 10.2% 82.3%
42nd 44.0% 74.6% 18.1% 4.4% 1.9% 0.3% 0.3% 12.9% 6.4% 5.6% 72.8%
43rd 43.8% 74.5% 17.2% 5.2% 1.6% 0.5% 0.3% 5.3% 6.5% 4.6% 81.5%
44th 40.6% 74.0% 15.9% 8.2% 1.0% 0.3% 0.2% 6.1% 3.3% 6.6% 81.9%
45th 50.8% 50.8% 37.5% 9.4% 0.9% 0.5% 0.4% 7.7% 1.2% 24.2% 64.7%
46th 47.8% 68.8% 15.1% 9.5% 3.9% 1.0% 0.6% 9.2% 17.6% 12.0% 58.6%
47th 50.8% 66.4% 17.0% 14.4% 1.0% 0.4% 0.3% 5.6% 3.1% 15.6% 73.2%
48th 45.5% 68.1% 14.5% 11.8% 3.9% 0.8% 0.4% 13.2% 17.4% 13.7% 52.7%
49th 43.4% 60.6% 15.4% 16.1% 5.1% 1.0% 1.0% 7.5% 27.1% 23.1% 38.8%
50th 43.8% 62.0% 21.5% 10.8% 2.9% 0.7% 0.6% 22.5% 10.0% 19.7% 44.6%

* Asian, black and white percentages exclude those who also identified as Hispanic

Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, U.S. Census Bureau, Tribune data analysis

Au Contraire, Monsieur Jean Kass - Carol Moseley Braun Benefits Best.

"The candidate who might benefit most is Gery Chico. If Rahm is kept off the ballot, Chico will likely become the establishment choice. The Daley boys will send somebody over to bring a coffeecake and make nice. And Chico will get his fundraising calls returned promptly.

"Our campaign was strong already," Chico told me. "And we're going to remain on the same plan that we were on yesterday, and it doesn't matter whether Rahm is on the ballot or not. Nobody in this race is more qualified than me to run the third-largest city in the country." John Kass -Chicago Tribune

Rahm won't give up easily. He wants to be mayor. And he can't run for president someday without winning this election first. So he'll have to cast himself as a casualty of the Chicago Way." John Kass - Chicago Tribune

As usual, John Kass hits one into the prognosticator's cheap seats and grips the pulse with the theme of political pay-back ( Karma is a Stitch -'Tis so!) on Rahm Emanuel, but I must part paths over who benefits most given the almost sure departure of Rahm's name from the February ballots.

Taking absolutely nothing away from the solid campaign and compelling narrative of Gery Chico - The Pride of Brighton Park and Kelly High Alumnus, I beg to differ.

Senator Carol Mosley Braun stands to gain the most from the Rahm-less ballots. I imagine, that Senator Braun's cell-phone voice mail is overloaded and possibly, just possibly, one voice mail may have come from 1600 Pennsylvannia Ave. -Wes Wing.

Burt Odelson's talents and tenacity as an electio lawyer were eclipsed by the endless parade of clipboard waving activists and tin-foil Hutträgers. Never underestimate Burt Odelson. As the result of Burt's talents and tenacity, two of the three Appeals Court judges ruled that Rahm Emanuel's residency plea failed the law and his name should not appear on the ballots for the February Primary. The result?
Hold the phone, Jasper!

Gery Chico and Carol Mosely Braun will slug it out, but Senator Braun, it seems to this laddie-buck, has the advantage.

1. Senator Braun is the designated Black Candidate . . .well, yeah

2. With the 11 Million Dollar Man all but gone, Capital will flow to Carol like honey-dew vine water: N.B. on Jan. 21, Chicago News Cooperative reported on Carol Mosely Brauns 'meagre' coffers -

Through Dec. 31, the biggest donors to Braun included Ariel Investments founder John Rogers ($100,000); Sportsman’s Inn owner Herbert Hedgeman ($35,000); Elzie Higginbottom, the CEO of East Lake Management and Development ($29,000); and Midway Airport concessionaire Timothy Rand ($25,000). . . .Her only major financial supporter among politicians was U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, whose campaign fund gave $25,000 to the Carol for Chicago committee.

Braun reported receiving total donations of little more than $450,000, far less than rivals Rahm Emanuel and Gery Chico, through the end of 2010. During its first three months, the former U.S. senator’s mayoral committee spent more than $280,000, finishing the year with only about $164,000 in cash on hand.

. . .

3. The Chicago Media will not accept any candidate even remotely associated to the Ancien Regime ( any person or organization that is a part of any lecture by Dick Simpson concerning Good Government.

Money, Marbles, or Chalk? CMB's Mayoral Campaign Capital quadrupled last night.

Carol Moseley Braun is going get favorable press from the media that once all but crowned Rahm Emanuel - I realize that the Illinois Supreme Court is the next hurdle to be sure, but I can almost feel energy sparked by the panic in the editorial board rooms - "We Love Carol . . .always did. Chico? Too Burke for me. Vallas? Carol Moseley Braun yeah that's the ticket."

Gery Chico and Carol Moseley Braun should each send a twenty pound Whitman Sampler to Burt Odelson.