Chicago Mayor Emanuel Desperate for Help from Republicans for Re-election

Chicago Mayor Emanuel Desperate for Help from Republicans for Re-election

by Warner Todd Huston 18 Mar 2015Chicago, IL

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/18/chicago-mayor-emanuel-desperate-for-help-from-republicans-for-re-election/

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been one of the more famously partisan left-wingers in recent memory, but despite that reputation, he has been the happy recipient of millions in donations from Republicans in this political fight of his life. And desperate for support, Emanuel is turning to the city’s small GOP contingent to regain office.

Despite having the advantage of millions of dollars in his campaign war chest, Emanuel is still in a runoff election that months ago many thought he would easily avoid.

Much of the cash in that campaign war chest has been filled by donations from deep pocketed Illinois Republican moderates along with the usual who’s who of the state’s liberals. But as Josh Kraushaar reports, Emanuel has been quietly relying on a host of Republicans for support in this now contentious re-election campaign.

Illinois’ Republican Senator Mark Kirk, the state’s new Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, and super rich moderate Republicans have all rallied to Rahm’s side in this election.

Emanuel won the largest number of votes in last month’s city-wide election but did not reach the 50 percent plus he needed to win re-election outright. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Rahm’s closest opponent, received only 28 percent in the five-way election, but it was enough to keep Rahm under 50 percent. Hence, the mayor was forced into the first runoff election in Windy City history.

Since then, Emanuel has desperately tried several new tactics to win back a skeptical electorate. He even tried to dull his sharp edges in a recent campaign commercial trying to appear as Mr. Nice Guy instead of the tough-talking pol everyone knows he is.

With the election as close as it is, Rahm has been playing a double edged game by quietly promising business and moderate Republicans that he’ll keep their interests in mind while trying not to upset the left-wing power base in the Windy City.

Emanuel hopes to convince the city’s GOP voters that he is the more “conservative” candidate compared to the ultra liberal Chuy Garcia.

“The difficult task for Emanuel is to win their support while not alienating the more-progressive elements of the electorate,” Kraushaar reported on Wednesday. “So the mayor is raising big money from wealthy conservative donors while sending a subtle message in his campaign ads that is designed to scare the more-affluent constituencies in the city–without trumpeting support from the Right. He has welcomed Rauner’s quiet outreach for his campaign while also blasting the governor for his proposed budget cuts.”

But things are not going as well as Rahm had imagined they would only a few months ago.

“The people on Rahm’s campaign are really worried,” an Emanuel insider said. “I don’t feel like they think they have a good handle on how they take him down and win this thing. Rahm’s mystique was the inevitability of success, and once you strip that away, more voters think this thing isn’t a lock.”

For his part, Garcia doesn’t have much campaign cash but has racked up a series of important endorsements. He was the early recipient of support from the city’s teachers, but over the last few weeks he also got the nod from Jesse Jackson, and the city’s black ministers, as well as the powerful Service Employees International Union.

Garcia has come sometimes within double digits of Emanuel in this election that has become surprisingly competitive.

Teachers

Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is an investor in DV Urban Realty Partners.

Note: Municipal Employees' Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago is an investor in DV Urban Realty Partners.

Robert G. Vanecko is a co-founder for DV Urban Realty Partners, and Mayor Richard M. Daley’s nephew.

Richard M. Daley is Robert G. Vanecko’s uncle, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the Chicago (IL) mayor, and Michelle Obama was his staffer.

Rahm I. Emanuel is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Chicago (IL) mayor, and was the White House chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration.

Allison S. Davis is a co-founder for DV Urban Realty Partners, and was a partner at Miner, Barnhill & Galland.

Barack Obama was an associate at Miner, Barnhill & Galland, and an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s staffer, and babysat Jesse L. Jackson Jr.

Jesse L. Jackson Jr. was babysat by Michelle Obama, and is Jesse L. Jackson Sr’s son.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Bruce V. Rauner is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Illinois state government governor, and the president of the Rauner Family Foundation.

Rauner Family Foundation was a funder for New Schools for Chicago, Stand for Children, Students for Education Reform, and Teach for America.

James S. Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the Economic Policy Institute.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Andrew L. Stern was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), a director at the Economic Policy Institute, and the president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Rhonda Weingarten is a director at the Economic Policy Institute, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, and was the president of the United Federation of Teachers.

American Federation of Teachers was a contributor for the Priorities USA Action.

Priorities USA Action was a super PAC supporting the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Barack Obama was the candidate or the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, and an associate at Miner, Barnhill & Galland.

Allison S. Davis was a partner at Miner, Barnhill & Galland, and is a co-founder for DV Urban Realty Partners.

Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is an investor in DV Urban Realty Partners.

Municipal Employees' Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago is an investor in DV Urban Realty Partners.

Robert G. Vanecko is a co-founder for DV Urban Realty Partners, and Mayor Richard M. Daley’s nephew.