As the dust settles on last week's aldermanic runoffs, five particular aldermanic candidates didn't take their losses very well.
John Garrido, 45th: After losing by 29 votes, Garrido decided not to pursue a recount. But he told the Felsenthal Files he’s considering suing the Service Employees International Union for defamation. The SEIU donated $175,000 to winner John Arena, and Garrido claims the union distributed flyers saying he took money from LAZ Parking, which runs the hated parking meter system. An SEIU spokesman denies it.
John Rice, 36th: For decades, Rice has been a loyal soldier in the 36th Ward machine, so he probably thought he was entitled to the alderman’s office. When voters disagreed, choosing political novice fireman Nick Sposato, Rice lashed out at them, suggested their naivete will cost the ward city services.
“He has no friends,” Rice told Chicago News Cooperative. “He doesn’t have those relationships. What is he going to do? Call the fire department to wash the streets down?”
Then, like so many losers, he blamed the media.
“You guys as little news reporters are very happy to control Chicago politics,” Rice said. “Have a ball with it.”
We won’t have John Rice to kick around anymore.
Che “Rhymefest” Smith, 20th: After losing convincingly to Ald. Willie Cochran, Smith took a page from fellow Grammy winner Kanye West by hogging the stage to challenge the results.
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“We concede nothing,” Smith said, suggesting “irregularities” caused him to lose the election 54 percent to 46 percent. “We want to ensure that it’s fair and that every vote is counted, and that people who didn't live in the ward of vacant lots weren't people who were voting. We want to make sure that the 20th Ward voices are heard.”
Now, Smith is going to let Cochran finish. He won’t be pursuing a recount after all.
Berny Stone, 50th: Debra Silverstein ended Stone’s 38-year City Council career last Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean we’ve heard the last of Stone. On Election Night, he called Silverstein a “know nothing” and mocked the fact that she’s married to state senator and ward committeeman Ira Silverstein by saying, “Their bedroom is now the throne room.” Given two hours on WLS Saturday night, Stone again bashed the Silversteins, recalling that when Ira first ran for state senate, he complained his opponent was married to an alderman.
Hal Baskin, 16th: Baskin was a sore loser even before he lost. But since he was on the wrong end of runoffs in 1995 and 1999, he probably knew it was coming, so he freaked out at a polling place and got himself arrested for allegedly threatening a judge.
