CHICAGO
— Chicago voters went to the polls Tuesday in the city's first mayoral
runoff with a clear message to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his challenger,
Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia: The winner needs to pay
better attention to them.
From
communities plastered with Garcia signs to those dominated by Emanuel
posters, voters expressed the same concerns, the same dissatisfaction
that they aren't being heard. Some said Emanuel, President Barack
Obama's former chief of staff, is a lot better at listening to the
nation's most powerful business and political leaders than he is at
listening to people talk about their worries about things like
education, public safety and pensions.
"Hopefully
he (Emanuel) takes heed of the runoff when he should have been a
shoo-in," said Richard Rowe, a 50-year-old resident of Englewood on the
city's South Side, who was on his way to vote for the incumbent.
That
is Jesus Fernandez's hope too. Although he voted for Garcia, Fernandez
didn't think the challenger would garner enough votes to win. But he
still thought his vote would be significant.
"If
he (Garcia) gets close, we might push Rahm to do something," said
Fernandez, a 44-year-old window washer and father of four. "At least we
push him a little bit."
Here are some things to know about Tuesday:
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EARLY VOTING SURGE
The
Chicago Board of Election Commissioners says more than 142,300
residents voted early, compared with nearly 90,000 ahead of the February
election and roughly 73,200 before the 2011 election.
Both campaigns emphasized early voting, with the candidates casting ballots ahead of Tuesday.
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CHICAGO'S FIRST RUNOFF
The
mayoral runoff is Chicago's first since the city adopted nonpartisan
elections in the 1990s. Emanuel failed to win a majority in February's
first-round election. He finished first in the five-candidate field,
winning 45 percent, while Garcia came in second with roughly 34 percent.
___
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Chicago's
next mayor faces major issues, including the worst-funded pensions of
any major U.S. city, upcoming contract negotiations with a teachers
union that went on strike in 2012 and a persistent crime problem. The
leader of the nation's third-largest city will also have to attract new
residents and businesses.
___
EMANUEL'S CAMPAIGN
Emanuel
has tried to convince voters that his controversial actions — such as
closing dozens of schools in 2013 — were beneficial. But in the process
he's admitted his famously aggressive approach could have been softer.
He's also tried to poke holes in his opponent's experience.
Emanuel
spent Monday shaking hands with the breakfast crowd and calling voters.
He told reporters he's been reminding people of his achievements:
lobbying successfully for full-day kindergarten and a higher minimum
wage.
"People
going to the polls are interested in Chicago's future," he said.
"They're voting for the basic things that they want for their families,
their neighborhoods and their communities."
___
GARCIA'S CHALLENGE
Garcia's
says he'll focus on every neighborhood while Emanuel has largely paid
attention to the wealthy and businesses. He's also played on
frustrations with schools and violence.
Supporters
— including the Rev. Jesse Jackson — rallied Monday in the heavily
Mexican Pilsen neighborhood. They blasted Emanuel for not taking down
widely criticized red-light cameras, while praising Garcia for meeting
with residents over noise complaints near O'Hare International Airport.
"We weren't supposed to be here. We were counted out," Garcia told supporters. "People had their say in Chicago."
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Follow Sophia Tareen at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen and Sara Burnett at http://twitter.com/sara_burnett .
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