Mark these two dates down on your calendar: Feb. 22 and May 16 (and possibly April 6, just in case).On Feb. 22, Chicagoans will storm the voting booth and elect this city’s new mayor (if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held April 6). On May 16, Chicago’s favorite mayoral candidate will be sworn in to office. So far, the only thing that’s certain is Chicago’s mayor won’t have the last name of Daley anymore.
Here on campus, the attitude regarding this election is mixed. Both DePaul Republicans and Democrats alike are passionate about this election, while politically unaffiliated students frankly don’t seem to care.
“The most exciting part about this election is the history of it. Chicago hasn’t seen this much potential political change this century,” Adam Didech, the Vice President of the DePaul College Democrats, said.
Also, for Didech and other politically keen DePaul students, the Mayoral Election isn’t the only race they’re keeping tabs on. Chicago’s Aldermanic Election, and in particular the race regarding the 43rd ward (which presides over the Lincoln Park campus), is also receiving a fair amount of attention.
“The potential for change in both the mayor’s office and the City Council is empowering to anyone who gets involved in this election,” Didech said.
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Brandon Weichart, the President of the DePaul College Republicans, agrees but with a little added skepticism.
“Republicans are excited at the prospect of getting a new face in the office of Mayor, although the excitement level is tempered by the fact that the Democrats continue to hold their vice-grip over Chicago.” Weichart said. “Essentially, the old saying — and I know I’m not alone in thinking this way – ‘meet the new boss, same as the old one’ immediately comes to my mind.”
Political affiliations aside, both Didech and Weichart agree on DePaul’s overall opinion on Chicago’s upcoming Mayoral Election: it barely exists.
“The truth is. most students aren’t paying attention to this election.” Didech said. “We just got past the midterm elections, and municipal elections just don’t draw the kind of attention that even an off-year national election gets. It’s ironic, because the results of the municipal elections have the greatest effect on day-to-day student lives.”
“Discussions over the Mayoral Elections have been somewhat mute, if for the extreme pessimism that the GOP has over the chances of even having a realistic shot at the Mayor’s office in Chicago,” Weichart said.
Will any candidates speak publicly on campus before the election? So far, DePaul’s Division of Student Affairs hasn’t set up any sort of event or rally with any of the mayoral hopefuls. According to Weichart, both the DePaul College Democrats and Republicans were attempting to put together formal mayoral debate until “those talks collapsed in the final days as none of the candidates could come to an agreement on timing and format.”
But to Dan Dunham, the Political Affairs Committee Chair of DePaul’s Student Government Association, there’s still hope.
“DePaul SGA has formed a ‘Political Affairs Committee’ to investigate the potential events that might be held with regards to the upcoming election.” Dunham said. “Right now, things that are being considered include a ‘get out the vote’ event, voter registration drive and potentially bringing one or more of the candidates on campus for an event.”
Besides possibly seeing one of the mayoral candidates on campus, there is still a great opportunity to hear what each mayoral hopeful intends to do with Chicago. Next Monday (Jan. 17), WTTW is hosting a one-hour mayoral debate, beginning at 7 p.m.
Besides being the first time that Carol Moseley-Braun, Rahm Emanuel, Gery Chico, and Miguel del Valle will all share the same floor, this particular debate is significant to the average DePaul student because, according to WTTW, “The forum will focus specifically on issues of importance to young people, including education, violence prevention, and employment.”
Despite however many DePaul students decide to tune in next Monday, for students like Peter Van Nortwick, the DePaul College Republican’s Political Director, it’s a sure thing.
“I’m excited to see how the new mayor faces challenges such as the understaffing of the Chicago Police Department and the budget troubles that seem to constantly plague the CTA and RTA,” Nortwick said. “Also, I’ve lived in the Chicago suburbs for twenty years and the mayor has always been Richard M. Daley, so I suppose the most exciting thing for me is seeing who the next ‘face’ of Chicago will be.