Emanuel Takes Credit for Minimum Wage Hike

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's TV campaign ads show a trend. Rather than Emanuel making promises, he's relying on Chicagoans to offer testimonials.

The most recent ad profiled one of his cabinet members, Cheryl Hyman, the Chancellor of the Chicago City Colleges.

A new Emanuel TV ad to begin running Monday focuses on Chicago's minimum wage hike that will gradually increase to $13 an hour by 2019. Emanuel does not appear in the ad, but instead focuses on 27-year-old Sharita Wilson, a single mother who is a cashier and sales person at a downtown store. Wilson says the minimum wage hike will make a difference for her.

"Rahm's actions show he wants to appear that he's fighting for the working class in an election year, but would rather please his pals in big business who have tried to block a raise in wages at every turn," said Mike Kolenc, a spokesman for mayoral challenger Bob Fioretti's campaign.

As well, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's spokesman Monica Trevino says "raising the minimum wage was not a tough choice, as the mayor likes to say. It was an easy one that he should have made his first year in office."

"Mayor Emanuel took only two weeks to put out a TV commercial after the increase passed, and it should be clear to everyone that Mayor Emanuel only makes hard choices ... when they personally benefit him," Trevino added.

The mayoral election is Feb. 24.

Contact Us