Last year on "Political Forum" #Aldertrack

[VIDEO] Recently over at the "Shedd School" blog, I posted a year old video from 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale who made his case for another term on Chicago's City Council. Today this year old video shows 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer - who had been successful in his bid for re-election in 2015 - on CAN-TV's political forum.

Topics of interest discussed on this program the large lot program in Englewood, the re-entry center on the east side of Cottage Grove, helping ex-cons return to work, more locally owned businesses that will not only add to tax base also hire from the community, an elected school board, development of the State Street corridor in the 6th Ward, snow removal, and concerns over standardized testing for CPS students. Whew...a lot of issues are discussed on these shows I know.

Ald. Sawyer noted how in his second term as 6th Ward Alderman he wanted to really work on further developing 6th Ward communities such as Chatham, Park Manor and Englewood. When he got elected in 2011 those communities were stagnating. He stated that he started his first term planning his areas and then start his second term implenting the plan. I hope he's successful.

Let's see what else I have missed from Political Form for the past year.

2015 the year that was

 Earlier this year Chicagoans went to the polls to either vote out their incumbent Alderman or to vote in new ones. In addition, the city threw the mayoral contest to a run off for the first time and resulted in a victory for Rahm Emanuel and a second term for mayor.

As a result of the recent municipal elections Ald. Roderick Sawyer replaced Ald. Howard Brookins as chairman of the city council Black Caucus. Ald. Sawyer has been all over the McDonald shooting and the release of the police footage of that incident.

In addition, Ald. Brookins is running for the 1st Congressional District seat held by Bobby Rush. Congressman Rush had reportedly been looking at retirement until he revealed later that he plans to run for re-election in 2016.

Though he's been re-elected a recent reversal of events during the last two months of 2015 has activists calling for his resignation. The reversal involves a police shooting last year of Laquan McDonald shot by a police officer 16 times and any footage of this incident suppress by Mayor Emanuel & state's attorney Anita Alvarez.

Speaking of the state's attorney as a result of her alleged role in the suppression of police footage of the McDonald incident activists are calling for her to resign as well. For the moment while the next mayoral election is 2019, Alvarez has a primary coming up next year. She already has some seemingly strong opponents going up against her so we shall see if she can eke out the Democratic nomination - which is certainly a shoo-in for being elected in November.

Another Chicago politico in Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown as a result of federal investigations into her campaign has lost the support of the Cook County Democratic Party. She had originally been slated but federal warrants caused Democratic "bosses" in Chicago to remove their original slating.

We're still following the Whole Foods Market coming to 63rd & Halsted. Thanks to Bruce Montgomery on instagram we've been seeing some progress as far as construction of the future site of Whole Foods Market Englewood.

Disclosure: One of the bloggers here at The Sixth Ward is a team member at Whole Foods Market.

In addition local lender Seaway Bank celebrated 50 years in business. While loyal customers and the bank's employees are celebrating there are some hiccups and that includes the sudden resignation of their new President & CEO who had been installed in 2014.

Also another local lender Highland Community Bank failed and taken over by a Indiana-based bank. As a matter of fact in different times Seaway had been in talks to buy the bank located on 87th Street near Ashland Avenue.

BTW, on the south side Pullman after a new factory opened up and a national monument designation is in the running as of this posting for 2015 Curbed Cup neighborhood of the year. In the meanwhile near the end of the year Chatham was the recipient of further attention thanks to the many modernist homes built in the area over the years.

What is a story you followed during the past year? What are you predictions and expectations in 2016?

Curbed Cup final Loop vs. Pullman

Hotel Florence Pullman

Pullman advances and you have until tomorrow night on New Year's even to cast your vote for the neighborhood of the year over at CurbedChicago. Hopefully you're vote will be for the Pullman neighborhood which has had quite a year in 2015.

the Pullman neighborhood on the city's far south side has had a huge year. Its historic district has become the first national monument in Chicago and there's even growing support for a full blown national park campus. Pullman also welcomed the first new factory to open on Chicago's south side in three decades. The colorful factory is not only generating much needed revenue for the neighborhood, but it has also set a very high bar for other companies when it comes to being environmentally friendly.

To be sure I like the loop but home for me is the South Side and it's a no brainer that this part of town would get my vote. Hopefully Pullman is back again for the Curbed Cup in 2016.

Another iteration of the Clout Wiki

Sometime before the 2011 municipal elections an earlier iteration of the Clout Wiki was shared on the 1n73rw3bs to the delight of Chicago political geeks such as myself. For many years, it was online with no updates other than the current officer holders when it was first published then eventually went offline.

Our friends at Aldertrack has unveiled a new version with the current players of Chicago politics especially those elected this year. Here's hoping they will continue to update for years go come.

In addition they have some changes to make such as 21st ward Ald. Howard Brookins is no longer chairman of the City Council Black Caucus. That distinction now goes to 6th ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer. Just one example amongst many to be sure.

Now I wonder who ran the earlier Clout Wiki!

UPDATE: The earlier version of the Clout Wiki was produced by Aldertrack's Mike Fourcher who conversely is also responsible for the current iteration of it. As per the comment you see below.

Time to start updating the 2015 elections page

Last night I decided to work on a page for the 2015 elections over at the Shedd School blog. I know it's been over 6 months since the Aldermanic election that saw Ald. Beale win another term on Chicago's city council. It was something that was on my mind since the election of this past February.

It brings to mind our own election page. At this point as far as Aldermanic elections we have two pages. One for the 2011 runoff between then Ald. Freddrenna Lyle and current Ald. Roderick Sawyer in the 6th Ward. Believe it or not the 2011 page still is viewable publicly although there is no longer an available link for the reader to click - at least until posting a link here.

Unfortunately the 2015 page hasn't been updated with any numbers at all from the Board of Elections although it had been promised. It's something that has been on my mind after posting some final numbers over at the other blog. Plus, I have to consider the format especially since this blog covered essentially three elections and one of those elections went to a run-off.

In addition, back in 2011 since we only covered the 6th ward election we wittled away all the candidate to the two - Lyle & Sawyer - who were in a runoff. And ultimately the 2011 page reflected the results of that runoff.

In the near future got some changes to make to the 2015 elections page, but they will be made. Consider this something of a history post as well and one of the things we do talk about here is politics. And Aldermen in some way do affect the communities they serve.

2015 elections unfinished business

We weren't really following closing those elections which were entirely close, but we know that election officials here in Chicago were still counting votes. While we're going outside of our scope a bit in the nearby 10th ward we know who the winner is:

The Board of Election Commissioners on Tuesday counted the final votes from the April 7 runoff election, and challenger Susan Sadlowski Garza ended up topping incumbent Ald. John Pope (10th) by just 20 votes.

The final tally, to be certified and published by the board on Thursday, saw Garza with 5,825 votes and Pope with 5,805.

As the counting went on over the two weeks since the runoff, most races already had clear winners, including of course the re-election of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, but the final absentee and provisional votes trickling in decided the battle between Pope and Garza on the far Southeast Side.

Tuesday afternoon's count at the election board found Garza finishing with a 20-vote cushion after starting the day 33 votes up. Pope claimed 24 late absentees to 13 for Garza to cut her lead to 22, but Pope could make up only two more on provisional ballots.

Garza claimed 50.1 percent of the 11,630 votes cast in the 10th Ward, while Pope had 49.9 percent.

Both sides, however, have already filed suit for a recount, and Pope has retained crack election lawyer Michael Kasper, so the case seems headed to Cook County Circuit Court. According to election board spokesman Jim Allen, the declared victor typically drops the suit, forcing the runner-up to proceed as plaintiff. From that point, the election board follows any instructions given by the assigned judge in handling a recount.

Also another close election in another part of the city the 31st ward:

Longtime 31st Ward Ald. Ray Suarez has been forced into retirement after a final count of votes Tuesday from the April 7 runoff election showed him losing to challenger Milagros "Milly" Santiago by 79 votes.

A week ago, when it seemed clear he was headed to a narrow loss, Suarez said he would not challenge the results. Suarez, chairman of the Housing Committee, was first elected alderman of his Northwest Side ward in 1991.

Santiago is a former Telemundo and Univision reporter who is mulling whether to join the Progressive Reform Caucus that's often at odds with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Suarez, by contrast, was a loyal Emanuel supporter.

Ah the Progressive Caucus is growing in number. Yes they lost one thanks to the remap but the member of that body of independent Chicago Alderman remains largely intact and with all the incumbents bounced out of office will grow much more in influence. So here's what DNA Info says:

The seven members of the Progressive Reform Caucus running for re-election all won, and they could be joined by as many as seven others.

So we could have 14 members of the Progressive Caucus. I would like to see what would be on their agenda when inaugurated next month.

Dumke: Will the new Chicago City Council still be a rubber stamp?

Mick Dumke of the Chicago Reader begins to further examine if the new city council would be a rubber stamp. It was something I attempted to figure out last week:

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa says it's clear why he and more than a dozen other newcomers have been elected to the Chicago City Council, and why Mayor Rahm Emanuel had to fight so hard for his own reelection.

"What we've seen was a massive shake-up, especially by Chicago standards," says Ramirez-Rosa, who defeated 35th Ward alderman Rey Colon in February. Voters have decided that "it's important to have a group of folks who say they're 100 percent with the neighborhoods and that they're going to be independent. . . . I don't think Chicago politics can ever be the same."

True, the "shake-up" bar is low around here. At the very least, the City Council might not be quite the same.

When the new council meets for the first time next month after 18 runoffs, 14 aldermen will be sworn in who weren't there four years ago, assuming current vote totals hold up. Gone will be several aldermen who were mayoral loyalists and products of patronage organizations. And Ramirez-Rosa is right—most of the incoming aldermen have vowed to be independent and progressive.

But as he well knows, these aren't exactly promises till death do us part.

Read the whole thing

DNA Info: Poor, Black Chicagoans Overwhelmingly Picked Rahm Over Chuy

Via Chicagosmayor ig

Mark Konkol breaks down the mayoral run-off from this past Tuesday:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was dubbed "Mayor 1 percent" by his detractors, ended up winning votes from some of Chicago's poorest residents.

Nearly 60 percent of voters with an annual family income under $30,000 picked Emanuel, according to an Edison Research exit poll.

Sixty-one percent of Chicagoans most affected by poverty, crime and failing schools — poor black families who earn less than $50,000 a year — also voted for Emanuel.

That’s a significantly higher percentage than the 52 percent of black voters with annual household incomes that top $50,000 who voted for the mayor, said Edison Research executive vice president Joe Lenski.

Certainly a much different outcome than the signs I saw the weekend before the election hoped to project. I'm sure this helped:

In the end, those African American voters — some wrangled to the polls by a strong ground operation run by one of the late Cook County President John Stroger’s get-out-the-vote “generals,” Gerald Nichols — made all the difference for Emanuel.

“The swing voters were mainly black voters. There was no black candidate. They had to make a choice and they ended up choosing [Emanuel],” Lenski said.

So the mayor had some help getting across the finish line. That being said since many of his candidates lost in their races for the city council one can only wonder how he'll get along. Does Emanuel have the juice he had when he first got into office?

City council turnover...

DNA Info takes a look at the runoff elections in the city council wards. There was some turnover between February and this past Tuesday. On the South Side, 7th Ward now has a new Alderman in addition to the 18th and 16th wards. In both the 7th & 18th the incumbents had been defeated on Tuesday.

Hopefully with new Alderman on the city council the potential to add more members to the city council's progressive caucus. And certainly while you may have seen the newly re-elected Mayor faced some cold reception at 95th Street Wednesday morning I wonder if he'll face a more independent city council

Then again we've heard about a more independent city council in 2007 and 2011 and it didn't seem to happen. Perhaps we might see that more this year or perhaps there could be more of the same when the dust finally settles and the new Alderman get settled into their new roles.

We got Rahm for four more years

At least on my part of the south side there were a number of Chuy Garcia signs and then over the past weekend on street corners I observed some "Fire Rahm" signs - even posted a pic on Instagram. Then I wonderd if this was more about the Mayor than Chuy.

The media seemed to have been telling us that people were angry with Emanuel. They wanted change and him out of office. Perhaps for a moment Garcia was getting some momentum after drawing a runoff with the incumbent.

Then today came and Emanuel was able to pull off a win. In addition these results from WTTW shows that a number of incumbent Alderman especially two for sure on the south side have been defeated.

In the 2015 election both in February and today we have seen some turnover there will be a number of new Aldermen on the new Chicago City Council. Many of these new Aldermen contested open seats and of course many defeated an incumbent Alderman. So time will tell if there will be change on the city council.

Tomorrow is the last day to register and vote early

That's according to this article via DNA Info:

Saturday will be the last day to both register and vote early in the city's runoff election.

Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, issued a reminder Friday that city residents can still register and vote, but same-day registration will not be available on Tuesday, when voters go to the polls to elect a mayor and 18 aldermen.

Similarly, absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than Monday. The city has sent out 54,541 absentee ballots, with the deadline to request one having passed....
Saturday will be the last day to vote at the city's 51 early voting sites: one in each ward and another at the board's main offices at 69 W. Washington Blvd. The sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Those who have not yet registered can still do so by presenting two forms of identification, at least one with the current address. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license, state ID, passport, pay stub, utility bill, bank statement, government check or some other form of government correspondence.

Voters who newly register, however, must vote at that time; they cannot opt to vote at the polls Tuesday.

If you haven't registered to vote please make it a point to do so tomorrow and be prepared to make your choices as well. For those of you who haven't voted yet please do so on the final day of early voting or definitely do so on April 7th which is the runoff election day.

The aforementioned article noted statistics about early voting in the city as a whole and in those 18 wards where Aldermanic candidates are facing runoffs.

Reminder: Street Sweeping app can help you avoid tickets!

This is NO April Fool's joke...The following is a re-post of our blog post from April 10, regarding The Sweeparound.us app. This app will help you schedule your parking, so you can avoid street sweeping tickets. Enforcement for Streetsweeping starts tomorrow, April 1.

Chicago Public Radio recently mentioned this a web/mobile service that can help remind you of street cleanings.  Click this link then scroll down to find the story on SweepAround. (Sidenote: Dennis Haynes of Chesterfield Community Council was also featured in another segment of that day's Afternoon Shift).

SweepAround.us is a website that can provide dates as well as free text reminders to move your car.

As an example, check out

http://sweeparound.us/ward-6/area-6/

The next ones are April 15 and 16 for the shown area.

As a suggestion, no matter where you live, be a good neighbor and help add some spaces. Pull all the way up to/back to (but not crossing) signs such as handicapped parking.

When you ignore using these signs and leave several feet in front or behind you, you essentially destroy a parking space for your neighbor. That is especially difficult on families with young kids or elderly parents.

Check this link for the official City of Chicago street cleaning schedules and maps.

The 6th Ward's schedule is here.

ABC7: Emanuel, Garcia participate in South Side forum

The mayor and his run-off opponent Chuy Garcia squared off at a forum at our local Chicago State University this evening. At first as per a status from 17th Ward Alderman-elect David Moore we learned that Emanuel had planned to blow this event off. Then later decided he will indeed participate in the CSU forum.

As you see ABC7 covered this forum and we hope to find other stories and footage from the forum.

Sun-Times: Your guide to voting early in April 7 runoff

According to the Sun-Times as of today you're able to vote early for the April 7, 2015 runoffs. This affects the whole city because of the mayoral contest and if there was a runoff in your ward then this affects you as well. I'm looking at you in wards 16 & 21 especially.

Regardless the Sun-Times lists all the early voting sites around the city. Early voting ends on April 4, 2015

WBEZ: Chicago mayor's race reveals deep divide in democratic party

Not too long ago we shared an article about the divide amongst Black voters with regards to the mayoral runoff next month between Mayor Emanuel and Commissioner Chuy Garcia. This time WBEZ looks at the divide amongst Democrats.

While recent polling suggests that the mayor is leading in this election, who else feels this could be a close election come April 7th?

Washington Post: Chicago mayor’s race is dividing the city’s black community

Well how divided is the Black electorate on the mayoral run-off between Emanuel and Garcia? Can Garcia capitalize on the Black vote or will Emanuel be able to get those votes necessary and secure a second term as mayor?

In the meanwhile, the Washington Post looks at the 2015 mayoral run-off here":

Emanuel, who dramatically outspent the competition, led the way with 46 percent of the vote, short of the majority he needed to avoid a runoff against Garcia, who took 34 percent.

Support for the mayor among black voters was weaker than it was in 2011. He won 42 percent of the vote in majority black wards, according to the Illinois Elections Data Web site, which tracks voting patterns, down from 59 percent in 2011. Garcia took about a quarter of the vote in those wards.

With Emanuel expected to perform well in predominantly white areas and Garcia expected to win the Hispanic vote, the remaining third in those wards who voted for someone else could, depending on turnout, be vital.

Garcia has been hammering the mayor for closing 49 elementary schools; he has vowed to put more police officers on the streets to combat violent crime; and he is promising to shut down the city’s red light cameras, which produce city revenue through fines.

However:

But in his efforts to make inroads with black voters, Garcia, who would be Chicago’s first Hispanic mayor, is also confronting the city’s history of strained relations between Latinos and blacks. 

“The first rifts appeared soon after Washington’s death in 1987,” wrote radio show host Salim Muwakkil on the In These Times Web site earlier this year. “When the black base split over which alderman should succeed Washington, Latino supporters were set adrift, and the remnants of the city’s infamous Democratic Machine exploited that uncertainty.

I suppose there is a path to victory on both sides. I'd be curious so see what that path is. How does Rahm win and how does Chuy became Chicago's first latino mayor?

The mayoral run-off...

During the course of last month's campaign I hardly paid attention to the mayoral race. It was an afterthought as far as following the three wards that we attempted to cover in this cycle.

Now there is a runoff in the 21st with Alderman Brookins facing Marvin McNeil and then there's the mayor's race. For the first time in Chicago's history - or more accurately since we went to a non-partisan runoff election starting in 1999 - a sitting mayor faces a runoff. Well we sort of acknowledged that fact a while ago.

Regardless, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is facing off against Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia. While I might've expected Emanuel to still remain mayor we already knew that many in Chicago weren't happy with the mayor. Lately they've cited red light cameras which the Mayor has decided to shut down a few around the city recently.

Another issue that has come up is the closure of the schools in 2013. That still proves to be controversial to this day even if the reasoning may have been correct. Should schools that were underutilized remain open? Another problem with closing these schools is that now we have another vacant building in these mostly Black and Latino communities and we got to figure out what to do with them.

Regardless Emanuel is in an unenviable position now he has to convince Chicago to give him a second chance. Chuy scored an endorsement in another mayoral challenger from last month in Willie Wilson.

So now that Emanuel even after having a distinct advantage as far as fundraising wasn't able to finish this campaign last month could he prevail in early April? Can Mr. Garcia be Chicago's first Latino mayor?

A lot of people like to whine and complain and fail to hit the ballot box. The Sun-Times has some information as far as voter registration. I regret I never posted this information before because now the time to register is over, however, there is still grace period voting. With grace period voting, you would have to vote the same day you register.

Mayor Emanuel on Chicago Tonight

[VIDEO] On Thursday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel appeared on Chicago Tonight to discuss being in a mayoral runoff. Especially as noted this is the first mayor runoff since the city started with non-partisan mayoral elections in 1999.

brian garner's concession speech

Here is 6th ward Aldermanic candidate Brian Garner's concession speech, found on Facebook.

BrianGarner6thMy Healing The Ward Speech


First I'd like to thank God because through God not some things but all things are possible.

I'd like to thank my lovely wife Dana who from the beginning believed in me and said baby the kids and I are with you and when you have your mate say that they believe in you and your kids say they are proud of you there's no greater feeling so I have already won. So Thank You!


I want to thank my Mother who's had some health challenges lately and I want to thank my (3) three loving sister’s Cheryl, Theresa and Maria they all have been with me every step of the way in this campaign thank you and I love you.


To my mother-in-law Wanda because if it wasn't for her introducing me to her Beautiful intelligent and bossy daughter Oops did I say that I’m sorry I digress!!!

All kidding aside, God only knows where my life would be right now. Thank you Wanda and I Love you.

I would like to thank all of my family the Garners, Norris, Toles, Wright’s and Jackson Families, thank you, thank you, thank you and I love you guys.


I would like to thank the world’s best and hardest-working campaign staff ever.

To My sister-in-law Kellye who was my office manager and logistics and ground support director, Kellye we could not have done this without you I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you


To Isaiah who handled his Street Team like a conductor directing a symphony I want to thank you man and your team.


To Marie who handled our Face book and Twitter our graphics sometimes office support she was a true "go to girl" in this campaign who unselfishly just did whatever you asked. Thank you.


To Latonia, my treasurer who kept me on the straight and narrow on the finances! Thank you.

To Charlotte who handles our research getting in and doing whatever you asked of her. Dana and I have said we've got to figure out a way to claim her on our taxes she spent so much time at our house. Thank You Charlotte!


To Q Lacey, who had me looking good out there on the campaign trail from my ties to my socks and to Rhonda and her husband Clayton this couple they are some praying people and I don't know what I would've done without their support and their prayers thank you


To my guys the Garner Safety foot and bicycle patrol! I can't say enough about these men putting themselves on the line to protect the 6th Ward residents and me. Some days it got a little hairy out there. These guys were right there patrolling the neighborhood's patrolling the bus stops and train stops just being strong African-American man believing in a cause!

Andre, DeBo and Ernest and I want to thank you.


My biggest thank you goes to the 6th Ward residents from the coffee sips to the beautification neighborhood makeovers to movie night and Bingo with the seniors to the festivals to the meetings to speaking to congregations at the churches throughout the 6th Ward and to the the knocking on doors!

I just want to say thank you for receiving me and listening to my platform and my message.

Education, Jobs, and Safety!

I will continue to fight for this!


I want to thank every person who lived in the ward or who didn't live in the ward who provided support for this campaign from monetary, volunteering, phone banking, babysitting to making late night food runs!

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart


If I have forgotten anyone because everyone has played a part in this campaign please blame it on my head and do not blame it on my heart because I am appreciative to everyone who helped in this campaign I just want to say thank you.


Thank you


Brian Garner

‪#‎TogetherWeCan‬

‪#‎GARNER4WARD6‬

Capitol Fax: “Mayor 1 Percent” gets 45 percent

Rich Miller on the Mayoral run-off. Lots of opinions out there.