The conventional wisdom is that the campaign for mayor will come down to a battle between White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel , who’s got the money, name, and national reach; Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who’s got the local connections, media image, and foot soldiers; and James Meeks, who has the biggest base of any black pol to express interest so far in the form of the giant congregation he pastors.
But other would-be mayors aren’t sitting around waiting for these guys to duke it out. Robert Fioretti, alderman of the Second Ward, has started talking about policy, including the idea of opening a casino in Chicago to help bring in money and jobs. He may seem like a long shot, but some very effective political organizers in both black and white parts of town are expressing interest in him.
Congressman Danny Davis is working the phones to see if black leaders unify behind a candidate, whether it’s him, Meeks, Carol Moseley Braun, or someone else—though at this point in time, with State Senator Rickey Hendon saying he’s running and several others considering campaigns, it’s highly unlikely that any candidate will lock up the African-American vote.
Yesterday Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan refused to rule out running—and her entrance could drastically alter the landscape, since she’s one of the most popular office-holders in the Midwest, a woman, and the scion of one of the powerful Mike Madigan.
But neither Emanuel, Dart, Meeks, Fioretti, Moseley Braun, or Lisa Madigan has committed to running for the city’s top post. In contrast, City Clerk Miguel del Valle actually has a campaign underway.
Del Valle has been written off because he had less than $2,000 in his campaign account at the end of June, the most recent reporting date. But he was the first to set up a campaign Facebook page , Web site, and office, and this morning he began airing the first TV ad of the mayoral race. It’s simple, with del Valle himself speaking into the camera about his love for the city and his commitment to creating jobs, fighting crime, and improving the schools.
The ad is running during political news programs on cable TV, according to del Valle spokeswoman Alejandra Moran
.
Moran insisted del Valle would be competitive even without the fundraising capabilities of his potential rivals. “He’s raising money,” she said. “This is not the type of campaign where we’re going to have millions of dollars. But the clerk, he is a guy who’s focused.”