Ward 21 Ald. Howard Brookins retires

 

[VIDEO] Announced today joining another south side Alderman (or Alderwoman or Alderperson or Alder....yuck). Anyway he will be retiring from the Chicago City Council at the end of his term next year. Bear in mind that he attempted a run for Cook County Judge in the June 2022 primary and his ward has been redrawn. Ald. Brookins had been in office since 2003.

Also add to this news that 15 Alderman declined a 9.62% pay raise via Chicago Sun-Times.

Here's an updated list of this via CBS Chicago at least of those Alderman who will retire at the end of their terms and not counting those who have either been convicted in federal court, running for a higher officer, or even retired already:

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th), Ald. Harry Osterman (48th), Ald. James Cappleman (46th), and indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) also plan to retire at the end of their terms next year.

And I must add Tom Tunney as mentioned in the Sun-Times article linked above is mulling a run against Mayor Lori Lightfoot joining fellow Aldermen Ray Lopez, Rod Sawyer,  and Sophia King in the 2023 mayoral election.

I suppose that next summer we will see a number of unfamiliar faces - and hopefully a new mayor - in the city council chambers at city hall. 

Ald. Lopez plan to reform city gov't

 Speaking of mayoral contender for 2023 Ald. Ray Lopez he's proposed a series of reforms for the city. Fran Spielman writes about it today and I'm sorry I missed it before posting about Ald. Lopez asking for Nat'l Guard help for the city.

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) on Monday unveiled a dramatic plan to rein in mayoral control and give Chicago the strong council-weak mayor form of government that the municipal code intended.
...
Either by seeking a change in state law or by flexing Chicago’s home-rule powers, Lopez is promising to:

• Cut the City Council by half, empower Council committees to approve spending by departments they oversee and give the Council its own, truly independent budget office and parliamentarian to challenge dubious mayoral rulings from the chair.
• Create three new citywide elected officials — the corporation counsel, inspector general and city comptroller — instead of empowering the mayor to appoint “pawns” to those pivotal positions.
• Create a 21-member Municipal Charter Commission to reexamine the structure of city government every 10 years.

The most dramatic and controversial of those changes is to reduce the size of the City Council from 50 members to just 25.
...
“It is my hope that a leaner, reinvigorated City Council with new and guaranteed oversight authority and budgetary authority over departments would be able to flex its muscles accordingly and be a true partner in government,” said Lopez, one of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s most outspoken critics.

Lopez noted that 85% of requests for city services are “handled outside the local ward office” through 311, city apps or online. When the local aldermanic office does get involved, it’s “often the stumbling block,” he said.

“We are not the City Council of the 1800s. We are a 21st century city and we need 21st century Chicago. One that is able to focus on city services as they are currently being delivered as well as focusing on the legislation and oversight that they’re meant to take care of,” he said.

Why clip the mayor’s wings with three new citywide elected officials?

“Mayoral control and authoritarianism … often comes from his or her ability to have the corporation counsel do the legal maneuvering they need to secure their power, squash or silence reports aimed at making government more efficient and to play the smoke-and-mirrors games of budgeting,” Lopez said.

“Making those three positions independently elected … would ensure there are other players on the board who will hold the mayor’s feet to the fire to ensure that they are honest, fair and representing the truth in all of their dealings.”

Well I do think it's time to re-evaluate how many Aldermen (still Alderperson or Alder ewww) must represent the city of Chicago so I'm with that. The idea of a municipal charter commission, I want to see more about that. Surely he has a page for that! 

h/t 19th Ward Chicago

Capitol Fax: Duckworth and Pritzker take different paths on Lightfoot endorsement

US Sen. Tammy Duckworth made a robocall endorsing the re-election bid of Mayor Lightfoot in 2023, however, Gov. Pritzker who's going through his re-election for Governor (actually Sen. Duckworth is running for re-election herself) wants to focus on his race before making any endorsements.

Duckworth and Pritzker take different paths on Lightfoot endorsement https://t.co/YHY8iKqPq2

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) August 5, 2022

ALSO, I might add in that posting someone wrote in the comments that Gov. Pritzker won't endorse the first Black mayor of Chicago. Someone doesn't know Chicago history now do they. Perhaps they weren't yet born in 1983 or they slept through most of the 1980s in Chicago....

The next Willie Wilson gas giveaway

 It's coming to the following locations seen in the graphic below on July 9, 2022 which is a Saturday a week from now about. As you know Willie Wilson is one of many who is running against the incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot next year in 2023.

There probably will be updates I would refer you to Wilson's fb page and his Twitter.

Another candidate for mayor

 

[VIDEO] This is really old news from two days ago, however, this report from WBBM-TV shows 26-year-old Ja'Mal Green entering the 2023 race for mayor. How remarkable that at 26 he wants the very challenging position of running the city of Chicago. 

He also joined the race in 2019 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel bowed out leaving the mayor's office an open seat however according to WTTW Willie Wilson was successfully able to challenge his petitions and knock the young man off the ballot.

Here's his announcment video shared on his twitter page @JaymalGreen

She's finally kicked off re-election campaign

 

[VIDEO] She's in! Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants a second term as Chicago's Mayor. And I got to admit this video was a valiant effort to own that many doesn't like her delivery - so at least she isn't that out of touch. On the other hand she wants voters to know she is a fighter.

Of course we won't be voting for any city office until February 2023 and the question for now is there anyone who has announced for mayor so far that you would vote for?

Of course as happens on the internet and we know she does have opposition, the below video noted a local TV news report that her approval ratings are under 30%. Of course it's meant to be somewhat funny and also showing how much they oppose Mayor Lightfoot. [VIDEO]

I like the clips they throw in from Clockwork Orange this YouTuber wanted to give the viewers the impression that this video hurts their eyes.

WTTW: Lightfoot Takes Aim at Rivals: ‘Another Man Who Thinks He Can Do This Job Better Than Me’

 Upon news that Ward 6 Ald. Roderick Sawyer is throwing his hat in the ring to challenge Mayor Lightfoot in 2023.

But shortly after kicking off the city’s celebration of Pride month by dedicating Chicago’s AIDS Garden along the Lakefront near Belmont Harbor, Lightfoot brushed off the criticism leveled by Sawyer, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, state Rep. Kam Buckner, businessman and philanthropist Willie Wilson and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward).

“Another day, another man who thinks he can do his job better than me,” Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot tapped Sawyer to serve as the chair of the City Council’s Health and Human Relations Committee, and his candidacy is a stunning rebuke of Lightfoot and her leadership. Sawyer was first elected to the City Council in 2011.

Sawyer served as the chair of the Black Caucus under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and charted a moderate path during his administration. In 2019, Sawyer was forced into a runoff, but retained his seat, winning nearly 54% of the vote.

...

Sawyer and Lightfoot clashed over a number of issues during the past three years, including efforts to create an oversight board of Chicagoans to oversee the beleaguered Chicago Police Department as well as a push to study whether and how the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans.

In the face of opposition from the mayor, Sawyer dropped his push to create a commission, and agreed to form a subcommittee of the Health Committee. That body met only once, and Sawyer regretted bowing to the mayor’s wishes, telling WTTW News she had “stonewalled” his efforts.

And what seems to be a typical Lightfoot tactic:

Nearly a year ago, Lightfoot told “Chicago Tonight” that 99% of the criticism she faces is spurred by racism and sexism.

Lightfoot told WTTW News on Thursday that nothing has changed during the past year.

“Women are always going to be judged by a different lens, and people of color are always judged by a different lens,” Lightfoot said. “That’s just the reality of our lives.”

Lightfoot, Chicago’s first gay mayor, said members of the LGBTQ-plus community also face unwarranted criticism because of who they are.

“I’m a big believer in playing the cards that were dealt,” Lightfoot said. “I’m going to keep doing what I think is right on behalf of the residents of the city.”

Unwarranted criticism or just plain the direction of this city needs a change? 

Another mayoral contender in 2023

Before the 2012 remap Ald. Roderick Sawyer was my Alderman (or Alderperson or Alder ewwww) about one year before the 2023 mayoral race he throws his hat in the ring via Sun-Times

The son of former Mayor Eugene Sawyer said Wednesday he will give up his City Council seat to join the growing field of candidates vying to turn Lori Lightfoot into a one-term mayor.

“I don’t think she’s the right fit for Chicago in this role. … She doesn’t play well in the sandbox with others. … The authoritativeness. The mean-spirited demeanor. That’s not how you run a government,” Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) told the Sun-Times Wednesday, in a wide-ranging interview from the barber chair.

“I want to give the people a more collaborative option, where every voice matters. The current administration’s style of governing is a top-down form of government. It’s not taking into consideration her partners, which is us as aldermen. Also, the citizens of Chicago.”

I want to add the response of Mayor Lightfoot to another mayoral contender it was a bit of a shot at former Schools CEO Paul Vallas who also ran for mayor in 2019. A bit of a zinger delivered by a surrogate found via CapFax yesterday. 

FOX Business: FOP national VP calls on Lori Lightfoot to resign over Chicago's 'lawlessness'

 

[VIDEO] Joe Gamaldi discusses the latest news out of Chicago as far as crime on FOX Business and calls for Mayor Lightfoot to resign. All I can say is good luck with that as she's stated her intent to run for re-election. In 2023 voters will decide if she will get another term.

And speaking of the 2023 mayoral election - Mayor plans to run for re-election

Mayor Lori Lightfoot

I was actually hoping she wouldn't, being Mayor of Chicago is not an easy job. However she's just combative enough and willing to stand for re-election in 2023. Word from the Sun-Times earlier today.

NEW: Intending to make it “official” sometime “soon,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday she will seek a second term in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.https://t.co/RWgpVhoMLx

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) April 28, 2022

One of her main city council critics Ward 15 Ald. Raymond Lopez is running next year and so is businessman Willie Wilson. Earlier today 5th District US Congressman Mike Quigley announced he won't run for mayor in 2023.

At this point the field is only beginning to form.

2023 elections

 I'm considering creating a 2023 elections page.

Next year in February we'll be voting for city council, city clerk, city treasurer, and mayor. Right now the city is of course focused on who's running for mayor.

Usually when I do these pages the focus is often on the Aldermanic election (or Alderperson still doesn't sound right). Thinking about throwing in the mayoral race for coverage and for the first time.

Today the news is out there that north side Congressman Mike Quigley is opting out of the 2023 mayoral race citing the ongoing Ukraine conflict. And so far who announced they're running is Ward 15 Ald. Raymond Lopez and the man responsible for these gas giveaways businessman Willie Wilson.

The current Mayor Lori Lightfoot has yet to announce she will seek re-election although it seems the signs are she might. When we hear about a re-election campaign the emphasis might be on her fundraising which the news is usually that it's not good.

Time will tell although the latest news about her right now is successfully pushing through the city council prepaid gas and CTA cards to address rising gas prices.

So anyway some feedback would be appreciated on this. For the purposes of this blog the 2023 election page will look at both those running for city council in Ward 9 and perhaps also those running for mayor of Chicago next year.