Citing complications in his battle with prostate cancer, veteran 45th Ward Ald. Patrick Levar will not run for a seventh term in February.
After 24 years representing the Northwest Side ward, he becomes the ninth alderman in the 50-member City Council to decide not to seek re-election next year.
Levar has been the chairman of the City Council’s Aviation Committee and a staunch ally of retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley. He planned to inform 45th Ward Democratic precinct captains of his decision at a meeting Monday night.
Even before he announced his retirement, several potentially strong challengers for the council seat had emerged, including John Arena and Don Blair.
According to an advance copy of his remarks, Levar intended to highlight such accomplishments as a new library, a new police station and the re-opening of the Portage Theater.
Levar will remain committeeman of the 45th Ward Democrats, his spokesman, Manuel Galvan, told the Chicago News Cooperative. The group was among the more clout-heavy components of the Daley machine, with many of its members on the city payroll.
Levar has been a member of the ward organization since he was 17 years old, a fact he intended to mention in his speech to the group.
you’ve forgotten Michael Ward, who has probably raised more money than anyone else so far, and is popular throughout the 45th – he has an office in the heart of the ward on Milwaukee. Portage Park, where Arena and Blair will duke things out, is but a small part of the 45th ward.