Some might say politics in Chicago have never been considered traditional. At the recent forefront of political conversation in this complex city is Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election. On April 7, 2015, Emanuel, with 56% of the votes defeated Cook County Commissioner, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who only finished with 44% of the votes.
With the February 28 polls came much surprise. Citizens of Chicago witnessed something that seemed potentially out of reach in this mayoral election. According to Newsmax, Rahm Emanuel collected 42.9%, Chuy Garcia with 38.5%, and 18.6% undecided. Because Emanuel was unable to collect a majority of votes, he was to face Garcia again in a final campaign.
Following the February poll came a variety of campaign techniques. Many criticisms of each candidate was quickly brought to light: Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his character and recent closing of 55 Chicago Public Schools; Chuy Garcia and his mismanagement of funds and lack of experience.
For some, the news of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election came as a surprise.
“I couldn’t tell who was going to win. I just knew a change would be nice, but I don’t think Garcia was the one to do it, “says Megan Byrom.
For others, Emunal’s second term seemed more likely.
Kerby Kniss, Political Science major, says “It was hard for Garcia to compete with Rahm’s campaign funding, in addition I felt he heavily emphasized Rahm’s past mistakes rather than taking a clear stance on all the issues besides just education and union rights.”
Opponent Chuy Garcia took the loss with a tone of positivity. WGNTV writes, “After conceding to Emanuel in Tuesday’s runoff, Garcia told a crowd at the University of Illinois at Chicago he doesn’t consider his efforts a loss. He says no one succeeds without trying, and he brought thousands together.”
Only time will tell if Mayor Rahm Emanuel will improve like promised in various campaign commercials. However, citizens of Chicago can look to the future with hope.
Alexandra Jaffe, for CNN writes, “I want to thank you for putting me through my paces. I will be a better mayor because of that,” Emanuel told the crowd during his victory speech. President Barack Obama’s notoriously prickly former chief of staff also promised to do things differently in his second term. “Chicago, I hear you,” he said. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished, but I understand the challenges that we face will require me to approach them differently.”
