WBEZ: Polls have Vallas, Lightfoot, and Garcia in a deadheat #ChiMayor23

Vallas, Mayor Lightfoot, Garcia via Sun-Times

Via WBEZ Chicago:

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s reelection battle is clouded in uncertainty, her chances of beating either U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García or former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in a run-off appearing slim — and her prospects for even making it to the April election up in the air.

With the election less than three weeks away, three out of five voters disapprove of the job the mayor has done in her first term, more than half hold an unfavorable opinion of her and 71% think the city is on the wrong track.

Those are among the key findings of a WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times/Telemundo Chicago/NBC5 Poll conducted last week.

All falling within the poll’s margin of error, Lightfoot, García and Vallas were essentially locked in a statistical dead heat when respondents were asked whom they would vote for if the Feb. 28 election were held today.

García led with 20%, followed by Vallas with 18% and Lightfoot with 17%. Businessman Willie Wilson trailed closely with 12% and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson with 11%. Just 2% said they’d vote for activist Ja’Mal Green, and 1% chose either Ald. Sophia King, 4th Ward, or state Rep. Kam Buckner. Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward, drew no support. Another 18% said they were still undecided.

h/t CapFax Isabel Morning Briefing - wait are those morning shorts making a comeback!  

Please don't forget early voting is ongoing now through Election Day on February 28, 2023.

Crain's: 50 aldermen may be 40 too many. Here’s why.

 I thought this was just going to be another article saying we need to cut the size of Chicago's city council. It goes deeper than that, the city does have home rule powers but never had a charter like other cities in America. Should Chicago have a city manager as opposed to the mayor being the city's CEO? Should there be At-Large Alderman which is utilized in places like Houston in this article? Are the staffs for Alderman too large compared to other American cities?

If you're an expert an urban policy or politics, this is an interesting piece to ponder about what solutions work for Chicago. What say you?

WGN: 4 hurt after CTA bus crashes into currency exchange building in Roseland

 

[VIDEO] There have been some posts about this on instagram Friday night. I immediately was able to identify where this was once I saw it the Currency Exchange at 111th & Michigan. Just across the street from the former Walgreens that was once located there.

There was a bad accident from the eyewitness reports in the above story from WGN-TV there was a chase and a car tried to swerve around an oncoming bus. The bus hit the car and then crashed into that currency exchange.

Thankfully all injuries are considered non-fatal.

Capitol Fax: Garcia to run TV ad quoting Vallas calling himself a Republican and saying “Fundamentally, I oppose abortion” #ChicagoElections

 Earlier in the year I had found a flyer possibly from Lori Lightfoot that accused Willie Wilson of being a Republican. However, we live in Chicago and this city is a Democratic city. For some perhaps uniformed voters it probably will cause many of them to veer away from the longtime city businessman and philathropist.

And then you get something like an ad from Congressman Chuy Garcia who is certainly favored to defeat incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in this year's mayoral race. I'll share the video though I want to suggest reading up on the ad itself at CapFax before watching it. 

Basically in the ad below Garcia's campaign is taking aim at how former CPS CEO Paul Vallas identifies himself. Is he a Republican? I he pro-life? Well calling Vallas a Republican is a very easy swipe, however, the abortion issue will probably get someone's attention. However, I just wonder how relevant the abortion issue is to Chicago voters? [VIDEO]

The next question is whether or not the abortion issue is more relevant than the issue of crime or even education?

Block Club Chi: Longtime Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale Faces 2 Challengers In 9th Ward Race

These are the three people who are running for Alderman in Ward 9.

Via Block Club Chi

And here is the start of the write-up:

Two hopefuls are trying to unseat one of City Council’s longest-serving members, aiming to bring new leadership to the Far South Side seat after more than two decades.

Cameron Barnes and Cleopatra Draper are challenging Ald. Anthony Beale in the 9th Ward race. Beale, first elected in 1999, is seeking his seventh term representing Chatham, Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights, West Pullman and Riverdale.

Sonya Thompson Dorsey withdrew from the race in December after two residents challenged her signatures. Dorsey said she still plans to participate as a write-in candidate, she said.

The 9th Ward has seen increased development in the past several years, with new businesses like Lexington Betty Smokehouse and Culver’s. It’s also home to Pullman National Historical Park, which opened in 2021.

I see Barnes in this article wants to fight gentrification. Beale of course touts his accomplishments as the longtime incumbent in the 9th Ward. And then I really like this by Draper:

Draper’s goals are to revitalize the Roseland business district, bring better grocery stores to the area, improve housing stability and mental health facilities, fight “food apartheid” and tackle gun violence, according to her website.

“The goal is to revitalize the 9th Ward, the Far South region,” Draper said in a December YouTube video. “This is not just a singular race. This is to change and enhance the quality of life Black folks on the far South Side. We’ve been neglected for too long, and I’m not accepting another day to live in a food desert, a medical desert, transportation desert, child care desert. Where and in what form or fashion is that community?”

If elected, Draper also wants to bring essential services to South Michigan Avenue, create new and expand existing businesses and address public safety concerns, she said.

I'd like to see Michigan Avenue get some more investment. What's her plan?

Early voting has been going on since January 26, 2023 and will be going through election day February 28, 2023. 

WGN: Recap of the Chicago Mayoral Forum

 

[VIDEO] Basic roundup in case you all don't have time to watch the hour and half debate that aired this evening on WGN. It's safe to say crime was a major issue in this debate with all candidates except the Mayor herself wanting to fire current Police Superintendent David Brown.

Here's the full debate below [VIDEO]

Public Affairs: Mayoral candidates ignore issues crushing Chicago #ChicagoElections

 

[VIDEO] If you follow us on instagram (@thesixthward) you might see stores from Wirepoints.org whom you see it's President Ted Dabrowski discuss some of the issues that affects Chicagoans with Public Affairs host Jeff Berkowitz. I'd say let's open the door to you, what issues do you think Mayoral Candidates in the city need to address?

They do discuss crime and a lot of the data Wirepoints does address is the issue of crime. I'd say economic issues are a factor though there is only so much a city can do about the national economic environment. Another issue is certainly insuring our young people are adequately educated and they do mention the power of the teachers union over public education in the city.

Capitol Fax: Chicago and crime #ChicagoElections

 The mayoral candidates in Chicago and hopefully those who want to join the City Council have crime on their minds right now. On the CapFax we hear about some historical states with regards to crime. Will these stats be on your mind when you vote next month?

Chicago and crime https://t.co/6bDLNNjbjP

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) January 25, 2023

When your city is turning into a ghost town? #ChicagoElections

 

[VIDEO] I suppose this is a quick meme about Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the state of Chicago. The Mayor says the business climate of the city is great, yet we hear about the city losing businesses.

The most recent news is the Old Navy on State & Randolph is closing. I remember that it was home to a Borders Books up until the company went bankrupt in the early 2010s. And Old Navy used the have the store one block south on State & Washington which was briefly a Gap and now is home to another retailer Primark.

And now Old Navy is leaving State Street entirely. Worse still there are a number of empty storefronts along State Street. Just look further south beyond Monroe Street at least. I was shocked to see after the riots downtown in 2020 - after George Floyd's death - that a Foot Locker store closer to the DePaul University Campus near Adams & State had closed down.

The issue is crime. It's shocking to see police with their flashing blue lights sitting on the streets in and near downtown Chicago basically there as a presence. It was true during the unrest of 2020 and it's true even now just go up and down Michigan Avenue at night.

You know I must say I wanted Rahm Emanuel to go in 2019, well he stands down and is replaced by Mayor Lightfoot. Right now, he looks like a better mayor compared to Lightfoot as he is now Ambassador Emanuel in Japan. While it's a bit early to say, how many people could say that about Mayor Lightfoot?

BTW, with the above video I like the Marvel Comics Antman references.