They’re off and running — to the city’s elections office, that is.
CHICAGO (AP) — They’re off and running — to the city’s elections office, that is.
Candidates hoping to be the next mayor of Chicago raced to the office of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners on Monday in the hopes of winning a lottery for the top spot on the February ballot.
Supporters camped out for hours in front of the office to make sure their candidates got in when it opened. After a weekend of dueling rallies before wildly cheering crowds, the candidates tried to turn a routine procedure into a show of support as they or their supporters paraded in with boxes full of petitions signed by thousands of Chicago residents.
Former Chicago schools president Gery Chico said he collected more than 50,000 signatures — or about 40,000 more than the necessary 12,500 to win a spot on the ballot — and called it a "good demonstration of strength."
Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, who is expected to formally announce that she’s running later this week, showed up with what she said were more than 90,000 signatures.
Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel followed his weekend announcement by sending volunteers with a shade under 91,000 signatures, according to his campaign.
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis showed up with more than 50,000 signatures, and City Clerk Miguel del Valle submitted about 40,000. Two other candidates — Wilfredo De Jesus and M. Tricia Lee — also filed petitions, according to the elections office.
Candidates have until Nov. 22 to turn in their signatures to qualify for the election, but those who were in line to get into the office at 9 a.m. on Monday can participate in a Dec. 1 lottery to determine whose name will appear at the top of the ballot.
Several candidates took the opportunity to say they weren’t intimidated about running against Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff who is known as a shrewd political operator who can rally his base. Emanuel’s campaign began running a television ad on Monday.
"I’ve taken on machines before and won," said Moseley Braun.
Del Valle said he wasn’t bothered by how Emanuel is spending his campaign money.
Voters, he said, are "not going to judge their decision or base their decision on fancy television ads and mailers that they get," he said.
There are three black candidates, and some have speculated they could divide the black vote and hurt all of their chances.
But Davis downplayed the notion, saying he doesn’t believe one of the black candidates has to drop out to help the others’ chances.
"If the African American candidates all work hard, campaign hard, register people to vote, then there should be a large number of voters," he said.
One candidate who did not show up to drop off his petitions was Meeks. But campaign spokesman Bryan Zisis said Meeks wasn’t all that concerned that his name won’t be on the top of the ballot, and was confident that anyone who wants to vote for him will find his name.
Besides, he said, "I have a feeling that the issues in this campaign is not who is on top of the ballot," Zisis said.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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