Chicago Mayoral Election Primary is today

I have been remiss in not getting around to writing my review of the book, The New Chicago Way: Lessons from other big cities, published by Southern Illinois University Press.

It takes an interesting tack, comparing Chicago's municipal governance and operation to the nation's 15 largest cities, to outline some thoughts on municipal reorganization.

My intent was to write the review in advance of today's primary, using that as the hook ("It's time: Voters to pick from largest field of mayoral candidates in Chicago's 181-year history," Chicago Tribune).

But with 14 candidates, many candidates polling with about 20% of support, and the requirement that the winner get at least 50%+1 of the vote, likely there will be a runoff, scheduled for April 2nd.

So I have another couple weeks to knock out a review.  It's an important book, even if I would have organized it much differently, and laid it out in a way more specifically designed to spark reform.

Why would a wintry city have a primary in February?  With all the talk these days about voter suppression ("Voter-Suppression Tactics in the Age of Trump," New Yorker Magazine), I can't believe that it wasn't until the book that I stopped to think about how ludicrous it is for Chicago, a city with notoriously cold and snowy winters, to hold its primary election at the end of February.

The owners of this Beverly bungalow are displaying the yard signs for almost every mayoral candidate on their front lawn. They're only missing Neal Sales-Griffin's sign.
STEPHANIE LULAY/ BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO

Today Chicago's high will be 25° ;although snow isn't expected.

Obviously, that's designed to reduce voting and protect incumbents.

Unbelievably, one of the leading candidates is Bill Daley.  One of the leading candidates is William "Bill" Daley, son and brother of former Mayors.

What is incredible about his candidacy, which has the support of many Democratic Party supernumeraries, is that he has been at the forefront of various legal corruption events in the city, particularly in the sale of multi-decade leases of Chicago's city-owned parking structures and parking meters, which because of the rush to get a contract approved as the city faced a multi-billion dollar deficit, ended up shortchanging the public purse by billions of dollars.

-- "FAIL, Part One: Chicago's Parking Meter Lease Deal," Chicago Reader
-- "Daley's double talk on parking meters," Chicago Tribune

Given the level of name recognition that he has, combined with the relative disconnect the electorate has about local civic affairs and politics, he has a strong likelihood of winning, making the chance for any substantive reform of the city's politics and governance extremely remote.