The remaining mayoral candidates in race for Chicago mayor are jockeying for postion on the Rahm Emanuel ballot news.
Carol Moseley Braun called the appeals court decision a major milestone in her campaign, but said it "doesn't make one neighborhood safer, one senior citizen more secure, one child better educated or give one unemployed person a job."
Gery Chico's campaign released a statement shortly after the Illinois Appellate Court ruled against including Emanuel on the ballot for mayor:
"Today's news is a surprise but it will not impact how we run our campaign. Gery will continue to work for every vote and lay out his plans to take Chicago in a whole new direction."
Chico said he believes in ballot access and has never challenged anybody in politics.
Miguel del Valle also scheduled time to talk about the development.
"It looked like money was going to decide this election,” del Valle said in a statement. "The voters now have a rare opportunity to shape this city’s future.”
The court's decision could breathe new life into the campaigns of candidates who've struggled to get their messages out, like Patricia Watkins and William Walls.
"It's what we expected," said Walls. "When we challenged Rahm Emanuel's residency, it wasn't just because we didn't want Rahm on the ballot. It's because he didn't belong on the ballot."
Watkins said she was glad the two judges "stood up ... against what had to be a lot of pressure and went by the letter of the law to determine what should happen in this city,"
Emanuel himself reacted to the news at an afternoon press conference from the Bergoff restaurant, at 17 W. Adams St.
"I have no doubt we will prevail in this matter," he said.
