How Chicago's Council Could Change Post-Election

Who's nervous about the results of Tuesday's runoff election? Chicago incumbent aldermen.

The face of Chicago's City Council is likely to look far more different after Tuesday's votes are counted than in the Mayor Daley years.  

The Chicago runoff elections include 10 incumbent aldermen, and they have good reason to be nervous, according to UIC Political Science Professor Dick Simpson and former alderman.  

"The tradition over the last number of elections [is] about 50 percent of the incumbents in runoffs get defeated," Simpson says.
 
In the 50th Ward, all eyes are on whether Berny Stone survives after more than 37 years on the Council.  Likewise, in the 25th Ward, Danny Solis has been working the polls all day, hoping he survives.    

In 2007, 10 incumbents were in runoffs and five of them lost.  
 
Six new aldermen already were elected on February 22. It's guaranteed four more will join them, with candidates vying for four open seats. 

Throw in an the ouster of an incumbent and you have a new voting block that both Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel and powerful Alderman Ed Burke will be soon courting.

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