The field of candidates to replace Chicago Mayor Richard Daley took shape Monday as the deadline for nominating petitions arrived, with some political unknowns trying to join the big names on the crowded ballot.
@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Courier; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Courier; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }CHICAGO (AP) — The field of candidates to replace Chicago Mayor Richard Daley took shape Monday as the deadline for nominating petitions arrived, with some political unknowns trying to join the big names on the crowded ballot.
A community activist, the tenant who lives in former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel’s North Side Chicago home and a perennial candidate who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2007 were among at least 19 mayoral hopefuls who submitted paperwork during the weeklong filing, according to an unofficial tally.
Supporters of outgoing Democratic Sen. Roland Burris also filed about 20,000 signatures in an effort to draft him for a spot on the ballot. A spokesman said Burris was aware of the group’s action, but it was unclear what would become of it.
"It just proves that people are hungry for change," said community activist Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins, who said she filed nominating petitions with about 40,000 signatures, far exceeding the 12,500 required, to get herself on the ballot.
With the coveted job Daley has held for more than 20 years finally open, other familiar political names — City Clerk Miguel del Valle, former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, former Chicago school board president Gery Chico, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and state Sen. James Meeks — also turned in petitions to get in the race.
By Monday night, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners reported 20 people had filed petitions to run for mayor, including supporters who filed to draft Burris.
The names that ultimately appear on the Feb. 22 ballot will shake out over the coming weeks as rival campaigns and others contest candidates’ nominating papers, including a likely residency challenge over Emanuel’s eligibility to run that an attorney said could be filed Wednesday.
Emanuel, who lived in Washington for almost two years, quit his job and moved back to Chicago in October after Daley shocked the political world by announcing he wouldn’t seek a seventh term.
Attorney Burton Odelson said Emanuel’s renter running for mayor doesn’t matter in the residency challenge he expects to mount against the former congressman. He said the only issue is whether Emanuel was a resident for a year before the election. But he hinted the development made for an interesting twist in the situation.
"Unless they’re all sleeping in the house together I’d think only one could be a resident of that house," said Odelson, who said he has had conversations with the renter, Rob Halpin, over questions regarding Emanuel’s residency.
Emanuel has insisted he remained a resident of Chicago even though he lived in Washington because he owns a home here, pays property taxes and voted, among other things.
Some candidates have turned in far more signatures than others, with Emanuel and Braun each claiming to have filed more than 90,000. Davis, Chico and Meeks’ campaigns all said they had more than 50,000 signatures.
Then there was hypnotherapist Jay Stone, who said he submitted only 250 signatures last week. "The machine doesn’t want me running because I’m so critical of Mayor Daley and Rahm Emanuel," he said. Another candidate whose address matched a southwest side motel also filed petitions.
Another minister, Wilfredo De Jesus, also filed for the ballot, submitting more than 18,000 signatures.
"I’m just really fed up with the politics of the city," said De Jesus, the pastor of an evangelical Christian church.
If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in February, the top two vote-getters will advance to an April runoff.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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