628,245.32 Reasons Gene Schulter is a Favorite to Replace Rahm

[A couple of readers, including James below, have pointed out that Schulter is limited in how he can use his funds;  the money Feigenholtz raised last quarter has no such restrictions.]

In an ongoing attempt to track the race to replace Rahm Emanuel in Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District, a look into who might have the most money squirreled away. It’s not Sara Feigenholtz, who had $313,000 in her bank as of October 5 and says she raised $300,000 before the end of the year–presumably in addition to what she had on had in October. Nor is it Mike Quigley, who reported $492,000 as of June 30. No, it’s 33-year veteran Chicago alderman Gene Schulter of the 47th Ward. According to his most recent report filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Schulter had more than $628,000 as of June 30. Of course, these three and other candidates, and others, have been raising funds over the last few weeks. Feigenholtz has a snazzy web and twitter presence; labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan has quickly become the darling of the “Net Roots” and non-Chicago lefties such as, most recently, Katha Pollit. But Schulter would seem to have a significant head start in the money race, not to mention a veteran campaign machinery. (As Schulter’s entry at Cloutwiki points out, the long-running feud  he eventually won over his former mentor Ed Kelly means he  “is thought to maintain one of the strongest campaign organizations in the city.”

(Jeffrey) Goldberg Bait in the Race to Replace Rahm

“Aviation security expert” and former Obama advisor  Justin Oberman is the latest entrant in the sweepstakes to replace Rahm Emanuel as representative of Illinois’s 5th Congressional District. (In the finest Chicago political tradition, Oberman is the son of former longtime City Council member Marty Oberman.) The bulk of Oberman’s bio centers on his time with the Transportation Security Administration. Among the areas he takes pride in is “Secure Flight, a new passenger pre-screening system for domestic aviation in the United States.” The prospect of Jefffrey Goldberg covering a Rep. Oberman’s TSA-advocacy is almost enough for me to pull for him.

Will Obama’s Windy City Vacuum be Filled by Nepotism?

As if this week hasn’t been exciting enough, political junkies here in Chicago have the added bonus of watching the domino effect of Obama’s victory. I took a first scan of potential Obama replacements in February, and still like Luis Gutierrez. Political secession in Illinois is usually kept in the family, and given the fact that Malia is a bit young, and Michelle already has a good gig awaiting her, we’re all a bit stumped about what to do here. The fact that Illinois is a defact one-party state makes the selection that much more interesting. Reps. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Gutierrez, Danny Davis and Jan Schakowsky, and state officials Atty. Gen.  Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Veterans Affaris director Tammy Duckworth, Secretary of State Jesse White and outgoing Senate majority leader (and Obama mentor) Emil Jones, and longtime Obama friend and woman about town Valerie Jarrett are the names bandied about most often. WLS TV in Chicago is reporting today that Jarrett is Obama’s candidate; others have told me that they expect her to be an important White House advisor. (In that same report, Bill Daley comes closer to announcing his candidacy for governor.) Davis, White, and the ethics-challenged Jones would all be emeritus appointments– of that group, White would seem the likeliest candidate to serve the final two years of Obama’s term quietly. Of the other group, I’m keeping an eye on Duckworth. (The Huffington Post is tracking the chatter.)

The other hot topic among Windy City political gossips concerns a replacement for Rahm Emanuel as representative of Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District. The Tribune ran down its list of candidates on Friday: “Cook County Board Commissioners Mike Quigley and Forrest Claypool; Alds. Thomas Allen (38th), Gene Schulter (47th), Patrick O’Connor (40th) and Manny Flores (1st); state Reps. John Fritchey and Deborah Mell, the governor’s sister-in-law and daughter of the 33rd Ward alderman.”  We rarely have an open election in these parts, and the junkie in me would love a wide open race. Mell is the frontrunner, if for no other than reason that that her anointment by the powers that be (also known as Democratic Party Committeemen) would fit in with Illinois Democratic Party dynastic tradition– her father Richard has been an Alderman and Committeeman since Walter Payton was a rookie. (Steve Rhodes sums up Mell’s “puppetmaster” history, leaving out his role in persuading Gene Sawyer to replace Harold Washington in 1987.) I live about a dozen blocks northeast of the Fifth’s boundaries, as an outsider I’d be happy to see Quigley or Claypool in Congress. The most intriguing candidate, however, is Manny Flores, of whom I’ve been hearing good things since I returned to Chicago four years ago. In a city where City Council members are known more for ethical lapses, comedic one-liners, and voting in lockstep with the Mayor , Flores is an articulate exception, respected for his economic development and public transit work.