May 29, 2019
NAPOLITANO'S GRAB-AND-BUILD STRATEGY RESULTS IN 70.2% WIN IN 41ST WARD

The meek may inherit the earth, but a Chicago alderman who doesn't grab every available federal, state, county and city dollar for ward infrastructure improvements won't get re-elected. Ald. Anthony Napolitano's grab-and-build mentality pleased his 41st Ward constituents, and got him re-elected on 2/26 with 70.2%. He upped his vote from 9,702-9,087 in 2015 to 12,502-5,289 in 2019. Loser Tim Heneghan is angling to get appointed to John Mulroe's soon-to-be-vacant state senate seat; also in the mix are Cary Capparelli and Frank Avino. State Rep. Mike McAuliffe (R-20) expects a free pass in 2020 but also expects his district to be dismembered in the 2021` remap. Full Article...


May 22, 2019
RUSS STEWART IS ON VACATION THIS WEEK

Russ is on vacation this week. His column and article will resume next week, May 29th! Full Article...


May 15, 2019
"QUALITY OF LIFESTYLE" VOTE DOOMS O'CONNOR'S 40TH WARD RE-ELECTION

THE SOCIALISTS ARE COMING! THE SOCIALISTS ARE COMING! In Chicago's 40h Ward, they arrived on 4/2/19. Andre Vasquez, a self-proclaimed "democratic socialist," beat 36-year alderman Pat O'Connor 7,509-6,431 in the runoff. The have-nots beat the haves. The renters, singles, gays beat the affluent homeowners. It was Clinton-Sanders all over; Socialist Sanders won the ward 8,090-6,602 in 2016. Having an alderman with "clout" meant nothing to the "Quality of Lifestyle" leftists who embraced Vasquez despite his "Battle Rapper" antics. Welcome to the New World -- or, at least, the NEW 40th Ward. Full Article...


May 8, 2019
"TAKE-OUT" TRIO PLOTS MURPHY'S 2020 DEMISE IN 39TH WARD

It's hard, expensive and unappetizing work, but somebody has to do it -- namely: TAKE-OUT Robert Murphy as 39th Ward Democratic committeeman in 2020. Murphy lost the 4/2 runoff 7,469-5,876 (55.9%) to now-alderman Samantha Nugent, and now the trio of Nugent, State Rep. John D'Amico and primary loser Casey Smagala is conspiring to determine which one of them runs against Murphy in the 3/2020 primary. Nugent ran a textbook, door-to-door campaign, attempting 48,000 contacts. Murphy thought the committeeman job was his ticket to a 2019 win; instead, it just hung the "politician" label around his neck. Murphy proved he had no base and no organization. Full Article...


May 1, 2019
RUNOFF RESULT HIGHLIGHTS MAYORAL FALLACIES, IRONIES

Why is it that 33,815 FEWER Chicagoans voted in the 4/2 mayoral runoff than in the 2/26 primary? Remember that media fallacy that people DON'T vote if they have too many (14) choices? On 4/2 they had just TWO choices, and turnout dropped from 560,701 to 526,886. Lightfoot's vote increased from 97,67 to 386,039, an increase of 255,135, while Preckwinkle's went up by 48,422. The 2/26 vote for the 11 other candidates was 314,619; Lighfoot got 91% of that plus most of Wilson's 59,072. There are 608,334 registered voters in the 18 black majority wards, and only 193,707 (33.1%) turned out in the runoff. The irony is that non-black voters determined the outcome.Lightfoot's hardcore base is the 97,667 she got on 2/26, which is 6.1% of the city's R/Vs.. She has no mandate. The 4/2 result was clearly anti-Preckwinkle. A CHART of the vote in black wads is attached.  Full Article...


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