Advertisement
The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

    Taking on the Daley grind

    Supporters of Rahm Emanuel, who filled the West Side Plumber’s Union, were shocked and excited when the results screen illuminated for the first time around 7:30 p.m., just 30 minutes after the polls closed.They screamed and cheered as a map of the 50 wards filled blue revealing Emanuel’s 51.3 percent lead with 17.47 percent reporting. There were still votes to be counted, but attendees celebrated an early victory.

    Many expressed awe to see Emanuel already ahead by such a substantial margin, and to see results so quickly.

    Emanuel and his family waited for results in a private room upstairs; he smiled broadly as each return came across the flat screen.

    Official victory, declared around 9 p.m., showed Emanuel had defeated his opponents capturing 55 percent. Gery Chico was a distant second with 24 percent. Miguel del Valle finished with 9.3 percent, Carol Moseley Braun with 9 percent, Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins with 1.6 percent, and William “Duke” Walls III with .9 percent.

    After Chico called Emanuel to concede, Emanuel accepted his victory in front of a lively crowd holding up signs with the names of different Chicago neighborhoods on them while chanting “Rahm! Rahm! Rahm!”

    Emanuel thanked voters and supporters, hugged his children and wife, Amy Rule, whom he calls his best friend.

    “Thank you, Chicago, for this humbling victory,” he said. “You sure know how to make a guy feel at home.”

    “While this election was hard-fought, it was only the beginning,” the mayor-elect said. “We have not won anything until a kid can go to school thinking of their studies and not their safety… Or until the parents of that child is thinking about their work and not where they’re going to find work, we have not won anything. The real work of building a better future begins tonight.”

    The campaign stopped that night for Emanuel. Now in mayor-mode, Emanuel must show his no nonsense attitude to solve the mounting problems the city faces.

    He started to show his famous “get it done yesterday” reputation, and wasted no time to discuss his plans as the new mayor.

    After greeting commuters at the 95th and Dan Ryan Red Line stop and participated in two radio interviews at WGN and WBBM, he spoke to reporters Wednesday morning at the Union League Club, where Emanuel announced the co-chairs of his transition team.

    They are group of diverse religious, community, and business leaders: Pastor of the Apostolic Church of God Reverend, Dr. Byron Brazier Pastor; Vice-President of Administration at Kendall College, Felicia Davis; former 11th District representative in the Illinois General Assembly, Judy Erwin; Vice President of Programs and Operations for Casa Central, Rebecca Gonzalez; Vice Chairman at Credit Suisse, Steven Koch; President and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry, David Mosena; and Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at CAN, Sarah Pang.

    Mosena and Pang also served as Mayor Richard M. Daley’s top aides.

    The transition team’s goal is to promote and ensure a transparent government, and reach out to Chicago residents to decided how city government should improve.

    “Their diversity of background I think gives us a chance to have a new start and a fresh sense of how I wanted, as I said during the campaign to turn the page and bring an era of reform to city government and how it delivers its services,” said Emanuel. The mayor-elect held his first press conference later that afternoon at National Lewis University, and mapped out solutions to fix some of the city’s problems.

    His first step, he said, is to build a coalition with City Council, and is intent on changing Chicago’s political culture. Emanuel will also focus on job creation, solving the city’s budget concerns while cutting waste with new revenue sources. Another top priority is to find funding for transportation infrastructure improvements.

    But, Emanuel said he would aim for small victories first, and then look at long-term challenges like the city’s unfunded pension liability, crime and education.

    “We need more safety in the streets, quality education in the schools and [to] make sure the economy is creating jobs for all residents to participate in the city’s future,” Emanuel said.

    While on the campaign trail, Emanuel promised to extend the school day and year while establishing new teacher colleges and working with parents. He also proposed lowering the sales tax while adding a new luxury tax on certain businesses.

    Emanuel also said he and the new City Hall need to make sacrifices from their own pockets, so constitutes feel there is a shared sacrifice among residents and government, which may not sit well with City Council members.

    The mayor-elect was all smiles again Thursday as he met with supporters at the CTA’s Clark/Lake and Southport stops. Later that evening, he relaxed at the United Center where he attended a Bulls game.

    The celebration will be over May 16 when Emanuel officially takes office.

    The night he was elected, Emanuel said, “Chicago is the Windy City, but because of the people, it’s the warmest place.”

    But, if he fails to deliver on his campaign promises, he may find himself on the hot seat.