Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Quigley Takes The 5th In Close Contest!!!

County Commissioner Mike Quigley, considered one of the three front-runners for the 5th District Congressional nomination, won the Democratic vote in the primary election Tuesday.

As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Quigley had 10,977 votes with 95 percent of the district’s 486 precincts reporting. State Reps. John Fritchey, D-11th, and Sara Feigenholtz, D-12th, trailed with 8,670 and 7,908, respectively. Quigley spokesman Billy Weinberg cautiously claimed victory at about 8 p.m. — an hour after the polls closed.

“Things are looking very, very good. It matches what we were seeing earlier: People responding to his message of reform and change,” Weinberg said.

And while Quigley’s willingness to “stand up to Stroger” contributed to his popularity, “it’s less about standing up to John or Todd Stroger for the past 10 years than standing for a certain set of ideas and principles, the ideas of honest and open government, transparency and accountability,” he added.

Also running in the Democratic race for the seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel, now President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, were three doctors — Paul Bryar, Carlos Monteagudo, and Victor Forys; Chicago Ald. Patrick O’Connor, labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan, former Navy pilot Jan Donatelli, economist Charlie Wheelan, and newcomers Frank Annunzio, grand-nephew of the longtime North Side state representative, and Gary Capparelli, son of retired state Rep. Ralph Capparelli.

For the Republican nomination, Rosanna Pulido led with 695 votes. Advocating immigration control and gun owner rights, Illinois Minuteman militia founder campaigned on a shoestring budget.

She was trailed by real estate dealer Tom Hanson (568 votes), lawyer Gregory Bedell (457), electronic products developer David Anderson (535), retired pro wrestler-turned motivational speaker Jon Stewart (260), and Daniel Kay, a self-described “entrepreneur” and crusader against mandatory motorcycle helmet laws (235 votes.)

For the Green Party, peace activist Matt Reichel led with 152 votes; Deb Leticia Gordils, Northwest Side Chicago businesswoman who wanted to “bail out the people rather than the banks” got 142. Also running were financial analyst Mark Arnold Frederickson, statistician and management consultant Alan Augustson, and kindergarten teacher Simon Ribeiro.

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