Chicago

Momentum Continues for Chicago Mayor Candidates Ahead of Election Day

On Sunday, candidates dashed from churches to coffee shops

The scramble is on to convince voters to get to the polls as the largest group ever of candidates for Chicago mayor are on the ballot.

On Sunday, candidates dashed from churches to coffee shops and although some names are more recognizable than others, with a total of 14 names on the ballot, it is expected no one will receive more than 50 percent of the vote—an April runoff is more than likely.

Rahm Emanuel's name won't be on Tuesday's ballot but he was at the Beverly fundraiser, along with those who want his job, to raise money for bulletproof vests for police officers.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Bill Daley are said by the rest to be the two to beat.

"When you're the front runner, you get a lot of tomatoes thrown at you," Preckwinkle said.

Daley mentioned that his background, in both the private sector and within the government, are contributing factors.

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"(I) stand separate from people who’ve been in politics for 20, 30, 40 years," he said.

Willie Wilson ran four years ago and has strong church-based support, while Amara Enyia is a newcomer, counting on millennials.  

Not to mention, Lori Lightfoot has won the endorsement of Progressives such as Scott Waugespack, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Former Cook County Clerk David Orr.

"I think it helps enormously, we’re talking about, at this point, a game of inches, meaning a few votes here or there, I think are really going to make the difference," she expressed.

With a large number of undecideds, Gery Chico and Susana Mendoza are hoping face-to-face persuasion works.

"I'm not the brother or the son of a former mayor, certainly not the boss of the party bosses, I'm focused not on the next four years, but the next generation," Mendoza said.

"(It's) so important to talk to as many as you can face-to-face in the final two days of the election, a lot of energy, we’re feeling the surge," Chico said.

Could there be a surprise? Jerry Joyce says there's "great momentum going into the final few days."

Momentum—that's what it is all about. Though with a large number of mail-in votes requested, if the race is indeed that close, we may not know the top two finishers on election night until those votes are counted too.

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