Exclusive poll: Karen Lewis could give Rahm run for his money

[DonViejo]

MON, 07/14/2014 - 3:34PM

NATASHA KORECKI

For the past couple of weeks, Karen Lewis has been saying she is “seriously” considering running for mayor.

It turns out voters are taking the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president’s potential candidacy seriously as well.

-snip-

If the mayoral election were held today, the lightning rod union leader who was the architect behind a 2012 teachers’ strike would beat Emanuel by 9 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, the survey found.

Lewis was leading Emanuel 45 percent to 36 percent with 18 percent of the likely voters undecided. And Emanuel could face an even steeper hill if he faces Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, long considered his most formidable challenger.

A head-to-head contest found Preckwinkle in a romp vs. Emanuel by a stunning 24 points. Preckwinkle dominated with 55 percent of those surveyed. Emanuel notched just under 31 percent.

more
http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/exclusive-poll-karen-lewis-could-give-rahm-run-his-money/mon-07142014-334pm

[former9thward]

1. BREAKING: Toni Preckwinkle rules out Mayoral run

Adding more intrigue to Chicago's mayoral contest, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said today she will not run against Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Preckwinkle was long seen as the most formidable challenger to Emanuel. An Early & Often poll released Sunday showed her 24 points ahead in a head-to-head matchup.

A source close to the County Board president said she is heartbroken about not running, but the statement she Tuesday afternoon conveyed no sense of emotion or turmoil in the reaching the long-awaited decision.

"I have decided to rule out a run for Mayor of Chicago in 2015 because I made a commitment to reform Cook County's criminal justice system, transform our healthcare system, and ensure the viability of our pension system," Preckwinkle said in the statement.

http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/breaking-toni-preckwinkle-rules-out-mayoral-run/tue-07152014-207pm

[amandabeech]

2. Well, maybe Lewis will be able to draw school attendance boundaries that

cross fewer gang lines.

I wish the best of luck to anyone who ends up running Chicago. I have a friend there, and there are so many problems that require attention.