The uglier side of Chicago politics appears to be rearing its head, as the mayoral campaign of candidate Miguel del Valle is reporting that its volunteers were harassed and intimidated in the city's 14th Ward.
That Ward is the home of powerful Alderman Ed Burke, one of the city's most powerful old-school politicians and a strong supporter of mayoral candidate Gery Chico. Burke is also the ward's committeeman, and is mobilizing the resources of his district to support his candidate.
But the support may have gone too far, as some del Valle volunteers say that Chico workers violated election regulations and pushed them around. From a del Valle campaign press release:
In Alderman Burke’s 14th Ward on the Southwest Side of Chicago, volunteers for Miguel del Valle witnessed Gery Chico’s campaign workers tearing down del Valle signs, stomping them with their feet, and verbally insulting del Valle volunteers.
“This is extremely upsetting,” del Valle said. “I thought we were through with this, but clearly the old political machine remains in sections of the city and continues to prevent democracy from fully taking root in Chicago.”
Chico campaign workers reportedly failed to abide by the orange cones restricting their access to the polling place and, carrying literature, accompanied voters into the polls--a violation of election regulations.
One Chico supporter is believed to have gone so far as to impersonate an election judge, grabbing the badge of del Valle’s main attorney, Marni Willenson, and throw it into the snow.
A campaign spokesperson confirmed that the del Valle team has contacted the Chicago Board of Elections to help combat any irregularities in the 14th, and has called on the Chico camp to call off its abuses.
The former president of the Chicago School Board and a one-time U.S. Senate candidate, Gery Chico is the presumptive second-place candidate to Rahm Emanuel, and most polls show him as the most likely to force Emanuel into a run-off. Del Valle has run a threadbare campaign that nonetheless has surged in recent days due to strong grassroots progressive support and powerful showings on televised debates.