In 1983, when Harold Washington was battling Bernie Epton, the demographic that put him over the top was the Lakefront Liberal -- white, well-educated, independent voters on the North Side.
During that election, Washington had the support of the IVI-IPO -- the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization. A good-government group founded as a counterweight to the city’s Democratic machine, it has carried the banner of lakefront liberalism since the 1940s. The IVI-IPO is against bossism and big money in politics, so it’s not surprising that this year, it’s supporting the least bossy, least well-funded in the mayor’s race: Miguel del Valle.
The IVI-IPO endorsement is not a surprise, but it’s still a coup for del Valle. When the race started, he looked like a candidate with no appeal beyond his Latino base. But del Valle has won the support of white liberals by proposing to ban city contractors from contributing to mayoral candidates and spend more money on affordable housing. Last week, he promised to join an IVI-IPO lawsuit contending that the city’s parking meter deal is “unconstitutional” because it allows a private firm to write parking tickets. That’s also a shrewd bit of coalition-building, because the meters are clustered in the city’s congested white neighborhoods.
The IVI-IPO also released a list of aldermanic endorsements, which includes some colorful choices. In the 20th Ward, the group is endorsing rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith. In the 25th, it’s endorsing Ambrosio Medrano Jr., the son of a former alderman who can’t run because he was convicted of taking bribes during the Operation Silver Shovel investigation.
