Albert Einstein once remarked that politics is more complicated than physics. No doubt Democratic Cook County Board President candidates Forrest Claypool and John Stroger would agree.
Cook County has certainly witnessed its share of controversies, but the contest for Board President contained more twists than any soap opera, complete with everything from malfunctioning electoral equipment to charges of vote tampering. Although the election took place on March 21, results were not declared official until two days later; in the interim, challenger Claypool conceded the race to stricken incumbent Stroger once it was evident that the race was a wash. In conceding, Claypool said that not enough of his suburban supporters made it to the polls. ( Claypool, who garnered 48 percent of the vote to Stroger's 52 percent, will remain on the board as a commissioner. )
Ken Davis, a spokesman for the Claypool camp, told Windy City Times that 'nobody is happy with how the voting [ transpired ] . We received so many complaints about ballots not being properly handled. There were bad situations everywhere.' He stated that people were prepared for certain things, such as delays getting results because of the new touch screen technology; however, he was not prepared about 'warehouses full of bags full of ballots.' Davis also cited the early voting process as a problem: 'It was never smooth. Do we have absolute assurance that every precinct received the early voting reports and that they were properly integrated into the count? Nobody seems to know that.' Because of all the goings-on, he added that 'it seems like this election will always have an asterisk behind it.'
Thankfully, not all the races were as convoluted. Lesbian Mary Colleen Roberts romped over Lawrence Andolino in her quest to become a Cook County Circuit Judge. Openly gay candidates Mike McHale ( Cook County Judge ) and Larry McKeon ( State Representative ) scored even more decisive victories—because they both ran unopposed in their Democratic primaries.
Debra Shore will likely make history by becoming one of the few openly gay people—if not the first openly gay person—elected to a non-judicial office in Cook County; she is one of three Democrats to advance to the November general election, in a race Democrats usually win ( for three Metropolitan Water Reclamation District seats ) . At McHale's March 22 victory party at Sidetrack, Shore said her victory 'hadn't quite sunk in yet.' She said she is grateful that her term lasts six years, so she can get a chance 'to make a difference.'
In other local races, Tom Dart withstood challenges from two challengers ( and fallout from a spate of jailbreaks ) to snag 62 percent of the Democratic primary vote in the contest for Cook County Sheriff. 'I'm just ecstatic about the election returns,' he told Windy City Times as he prepares to take on Peter Garza in November.
In an intriguing development in the Sixth District for the U.S. House, Iraq vet Tammy Duckworth upset Christine Cegelis by securing approximately 44 percent of the vote to Cegelis's 40 percent. Duckworth now faces Peter Roskam this fall.
However, the autumnal showdown that has everyone talking is the gubernatorial confrontation between Democratic incumbent Gov. Rod Blagojevich ( who thumped challenger Edwin Eisendrath in the primary ) and Republican Judy Baar Topinka ( who held off a tougher-than-expected Jim Oberweis ) . They already have started squabbling, as Blagojevich called for a $1 increase in the state's minimum wage, raising it to $7.50 an hour, and daring Topinka to oppose the idea. She did, calling the proposal a stunt. The day after the election, Topinka hoped for total Republican support at a unity breakfast, but Oberweis stopped short of endorsing her, saying that she would have to meet certain conditions before getting his seal of approval.
McHale Celebrates Victory
Here comes the judge, indeed. Mike McHale celebrated winning a Cook County judgeship ( becoming one of only 10 gay and lesbian judges out of 420 ) with a victory party at Sidetrack March 22, the day after the primary election. ( He had no worries in planning the event; he knew three months ago that he would be running unopposed. ) In his speech, he noted the victories of other openly gay candidates such as Debra Shore ( Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner ) and Mary Colleen Roberts ( judgeship ) .
He also thanked many individuals ranging from Sidetrack co-owner Art Johnston to Ald. Ed Burke, to his own partner, Brad Balof, as he vowed to 'take his new responsibilities seriously.'
— Andrew Davis
Reception Will Honor Gay and Lesbian Judges
Judge Tom Chiola, the first openly gay man elected to office in Illinois, will be presented with a Judicial Leadership Award on Tuesday April 11, from 5-7 p.m. at The John Marshall Law School. The event will also recognize all of the gay and lesbian judges who have followed, including the two latest additions to the bench, Mary Roberts and Michael McHale.
Chiola's award is being presented by GALLA, the Gay and Lesbian Legal Alliance of The John Marshall Law School. The event is being co-sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association's Committee on the Legal Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago ( LAGBAC ) , and the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association.
The event is open to the public. The John Marshall Law School is located at 315 S. Plymouth Court. Further information is available from the GALLA Faculty Advisor, Professor Mark E. Wojcik, at ( 312 ) 987-2391 or by e-mail at 7wojcik@jmls.edu .
Judicial Correction
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tom Chiola was not on the March 21 primary ballot. His retention bid will take place in November.
WCT regrets the error.
