Gery Chico
Encyclopedia
Gery Chico is a Chicago
lawyer, public official, former Democratic primary candidate for United States Senate, and former candidate for Mayor of Chicago
. Chico served as the Chief of Staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley
from 1992 to 1995, and board president of the Chicago Public Schools
from 1995 to 2001. He was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education in 1997. From 2007 to 2010, he was board president of the Chicago Park District
, and in 2010 he was board president of the City Colleges of Chicago
. On June 7, 2011, Chico was named Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education
by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
.
neighborhood. His mother also worked as a secretary at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
. Chico attended a now-closed parochial school, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School at 35th and Hermitage, where he headed the altar boys and patrol boys, and also played baseball for two years. A hip injury kept him in a wheelchair during his freshman year at Thomas Kelly High School
.
Chico pursued a pre-medical
degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, but after his sophomore year he transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago
. A political science major, he volunteered in the 11th Ward
. He later secured an externship
in the city's Department of Planning during his senior year, and he worked there from 1977 to 1980. He received his bachelor's degree in 1978. From 1980 to 1987, he worked for the City Council Finance Committee, gradually moving up from research manager to senior research assistant for the Department of Planning and Economic Development. At that time, he took night classes at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law
. He earned his law degree in 1985 and became a member of the Loyola Law Review.
Chico has been married twice; his first wife was Jeryl Minow, with whom he had three daughters. He is currently married to Sunny Pineda Chico, who has a son and daughter from a previous marriage. A former U.S. Department of Education employee, Sunny runs a consulting firm that focuses on, among others, tutoring services and curriculum advice.
, but he later returned as partner in 1995 and 1996, leading the firm's practice related to state and local government.
. A Daley pal, Oscar D’Angelo, a former Altheimer partner disbarred for giving judges free rental cars from a client, Avis, suggested to the firm’s managing partner Norman Gold that he hire Chico. In 2000, just four years later, at age 44, Chico became chairman of Altheimer. In 2002, the firm redecorated and gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Gov. Rod Blagojevich
and Attorney General Lisa Madigan
. In 2003, while Chico was chairman and simultaneously running for the US Senate, Altheimer became insolvent and dissolved. Some partners blamed the bankruptcy on poor management by Chico, while an attorney who sat on two financial committees blamed an economic downturn.
Chico also served as Special Counsel to Arnstein & Lehr in 2003 and 2004.
. He coordinated efforts to drain freight tunnels that were flooded with water from the Chicago River
. Chico was later promoted to Chief of Staff, a position he held from 1992 to 1995. As part of his duties, he oversaw the completion of the International Terminal of O'Hare International Airport
, preparations for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, and the construction of new schools. Along with Budget Director Paul Vallas
, Chico helped add 1,000 officers to the police force and improved neighborhoods through a program called Neighborhoods Alive.
(CPS). Daley asked Chico to become the CEO, but Chico refused because he was resuming his law career. Chico instead recommended that Daley appoint colleague Paul Vallas
as CEO, and Chico was named chairman of the School Reform Board of Trustees. City Hall insiders did not expect them to succeed, as Chico had many opponents from his time as the mayoral chief of staff and he had already suggested his intentions to succeed Mayor Daley. Vallas was also expected to eventually seek statewide office. However, during their administration test scores improved, the budget was balanced, and graduation rates rose. Then-President Bill Clinton
hailed the school system as a national model, a decade after William Bennett
, then U.S. Secretary of Education, had criticized it as the worst public school system in the nation.
Tensions between Chico and Vallas began in 1998 after Vallas revoked an insurance contract over complaints that subcontractors were receiving unfair treatment. Chico had strong ties to the insurance broker and disagreed with the decision. The tensions grew as a private poll conducted in 1999 indicated that the public identified Vallas with school reform more than Chico. Chico resented this, even though his part-time role of presiding over monthly board meetings was dwarfed by the CEO's full-time employment. While chairmen, Chico's judgemnt was questioned after he hired a former journalist for a senior position on the Board of Education who had previously taken money from a politician that he had covered.
Chico was also partly responsible for efforts to preserve and restore hundreds of murals in the public schools, which had been commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
during the Progressive
and New Deal
eras. They had since been hidden under layers of dirt and paint. Under his administration, CPS appointed an Arts Education Task Force and a Bureau of Cultural Arts.
Many clients of Altheimer & Gray contracted with the school board, forcing Chico to abstain on hundreds of votes. The firm's clients received contracts that totaled $577 million during Chico's tenure, but Chico claims that those clients had received contracts before he arrived and still did afterwards.
In 1997 Chico was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education for his reforms in education and fiscal policies. While the schools saw a rise in test scores, they were criticized for becoming "test-prep mills". In 2001, a dip in test scores prompted Daley to consider appointing new management, and Chico resigned.
YWCA
may have helped, the fall of Altheimer & Gray kept his support low. Chico also may have overestimated Hispanic support.
His Senate committee preferences included education, transportation, and foreign relations. He also criticized the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
and the No Child Left Behind Act
, but supported gay marriage, abortion rights, stem cell research, the death penalty, and universal healthcare. Chico was the only candidate who supported gay marriage out of all seven Democrats and eight Republicans. Then-State Senator Barack Obama
ultimately won the nomination over six other candidates including Chico, who won only five percent of the vote.
Board of Commissioners. The city was planning a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics; many of the proposed venues were on park land, so Chico faced the task of improving investments, planning parks, and upgrading facilities. During his tenure, he supported the construction of a new soccer field in Lincoln Park
despite opposition from local residents. In 2010, he stepped down and was replaced by Bryan Traubert.
and recommended that the board elect Chico president. Along with Chancellor Cheryl Hyman, Chico reformed the City Colleges budget by laying off 225 employees, removing unfilled jobs, and reducing executive spending to increase spending on technology and training for students. Furthermore, Chico and Hyman reduced taxation on property for two straight years, repealed the system's "open-door" admissions policy, and cancelled nursing programs. He resigned 8 months later to run for Mayor of Chicago.
Chico pledged to hire 2,000 police officers but did not offer specifics on how he would raise the funds. He opposed making the school board an elected body, and he favored extending the school day and school year. Chico picking up endorsements from unions that represented, among others, police officers, firefighters, laborers, painters, operating engineers, iron workers, roofers, and sheet metal workers. If elected, Chico would have severed ties with his law firm, but he would not have prevented it from lobbying for clients seeking city contracts. His wife's consulting firm on education would not have been allowed to do business with city government.
Rahm Emanuel
was considered to be the leading candidate before the election. Chico, who had 19% support according to a February 10 poll, was considered "the rival with the best chance of forcing him into a runoff". During the election on February 22, Emanuel's 55% support dwarfed Chico's 24% support. Chico won in 10 of Chicago's 50 wards
, while Emanuel won 40. The campaign's communications director attributed the loss in part to Chico's focus on fundraising and resulting lack of time for media interviews. Furthermore, she claimed that controversy over Emanuel's eligibility to run for mayor may have diverted the focus of the press away from the other candidates. After the election, Chico remained involved in the runoff elections for other city offices, endorsing a candidate for 25th Ward alderman.
in June, 2011. His confirmation was delayed as a result of questions regarding his ties to the Save-A-Life Foundation, "a charity that is undergoing a probe within Attorney General Lisa Madigan
’s office."
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
lawyer, public official, former Democratic primary candidate for United States Senate, and former candidate for Mayor of Chicago
Chicago mayoral election, 2011
The city of Chicago, Illinois held a nonpartisan mayoral election on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. Incumbent Mayor Richard M. Daley, a member of the Democratic Party who has been in office since 1989, did not seek a seventh term as mayor....
. Chico served as the Chief of Staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
from 1992 to 1995, and board president of the Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
from 1995 to 2001. He was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education in 1997. From 2007 to 2010, he was board president of the Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
, and in 2010 he was board president of the City Colleges of Chicago
City Colleges of Chicago
The City Colleges of Chicago is a system of seven community colleges which provide learning opportunities for Chicago residents at the schools or online, and also members of the US military through the Navy Campus to enhance their knowledge and skills. Student enrollment was 115,000 in 2007...
. On June 7, 2011, Chico was named Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education
Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the...
by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (politician)
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
.
Early life and education
Gery Chico was born on August 24, 1956, to a Mexican-American father, Jesse, and a Greek-Lithuanian mother, Jacqueline (neé Kopulos). With his two younger brothers, he grew up in Chicago's McKinley ParkMcKinley Park, Chicago
McKinley Park, one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's southwest side.- History :McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took...
neighborhood. His mother also worked as a secretary at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
- About :The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry evolved from the Columbian Dental College, founded in Chicago in 1891.The College informally affiliated with the University of Illinois in 1901, and was chartered as an official College of the University in 1913...
. Chico attended a now-closed parochial school, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School at 35th and Hermitage, where he headed the altar boys and patrol boys, and also played baseball for two years. A hip injury kept him in a wheelchair during his freshman year at Thomas Kelly High School
Thomas Kelly High School
Thomas Kelly High School better known as Kelly High School is a public 4-year high school located in the Brighton Park neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.It is the third largest populated high school in Chicago. Over 80% students identify as Hispanic....
.
Chico pursued a pre-medical
Pre-medical
Pre-medical is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student...
degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, but after his sophomore year he transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
. A political science major, he volunteered in the 11th Ward
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
. He later secured an externship
Externship
Externships are experiential learning opportunities, similar to internships, offered by educational institutions to give students short practical experiences in their field of study. In medicine it may refer to a visiting physician who is not part of the regular staff...
in the city's Department of Planning during his senior year, and he worked there from 1977 to 1980. He received his bachelor's degree in 1978. From 1980 to 1987, he worked for the City Council Finance Committee, gradually moving up from research manager to senior research assistant for the Department of Planning and Economic Development. At that time, he took night classes at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law is the law school of the Loyola University Chicago, in Illinois. Established in 1909, by the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic order of the Jesuits, the School of Law is located in downtown Chicago, within walking distance of the Water Tower , the John...
. He earned his law degree in 1985 and became a member of the Loyola Law Review.
Chico has been married twice; his first wife was Jeryl Minow, with whom he had three daughters. He is currently married to Sunny Pineda Chico, who has a son and daughter from a previous marriage. A former U.S. Department of Education employee, Sunny runs a consulting firm that focuses on, among others, tutoring services and curriculum advice.
Sidley & Austin
Chico began working as an associate of the Chicago-based law firm Sidley Austin in 1987, and he also served as General Counsel to the Chicago Development Council, the city's largest real estate development association. He left the firm in 1991 to become the Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard M. DaleyRichard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
, but he later returned as partner in 1995 and 1996, leading the firm's practice related to state and local government.
Altheimer & Gray
In 1996 Chico left Sidley & Austin to became a senior partner of Altheimer & GrayAltheimer & Gray
Altheimer & Gray was a Chicago-based law firm, which operated from 1914 to 2003.It opened in 1914 as Altheimer, Mayer, Woods, and Smith. Founding lead partner Benjamin J. Altheimer was the son of Arkansas planter Louis Altheimer, who established Altheimer, Arkansas...
. A Daley pal, Oscar D’Angelo, a former Altheimer partner disbarred for giving judges free rental cars from a client, Avis, suggested to the firm’s managing partner Norman Gold that he hire Chico. In 2000, just four years later, at age 44, Chico became chairman of Altheimer. In 2002, the firm redecorated and gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
and Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan has been the 41st Attorney General of the US state of Illinois since 2003, when she became the first female attorney general for Illinois...
. In 2003, while Chico was chairman and simultaneously running for the US Senate, Altheimer became insolvent and dissolved. Some partners blamed the bankruptcy on poor management by Chico, while an attorney who sat on two financial committees blamed an economic downturn.
Chico also served as Special Counsel to Arnstein & Lehr in 2003 and 2004.
Chico & Nunes
In 2004, Chico, along with Planning Department colleague Marcus Nunes, formed the law firm Chico & Nunes, which lobbies for clients seeking government business. Chico & Nunes, is a registered City Hall lobbyist for more than 40 companies, including large corporations such as Cisco Systems, Exelon Generation and Clear Channel. The firm has about a dozen lawyers, and city records show that five of them are registered as lobbyists. Chico made millions of dollars from his law firm that lobbies for clients seeking city business, according to three years of tax returns he released in 2010.Mayoral Chief of Staff
Chico was appointed in 1991 as a Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard M. DaleyRichard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
. He coordinated efforts to drain freight tunnels that were flooded with water from the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
. Chico was later promoted to Chief of Staff, a position he held from 1992 to 1995. As part of his duties, he oversaw the completion of the International Terminal of O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, preparations for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, and the construction of new schools. Along with Budget Director Paul Vallas
Paul Vallas
Paul Gust Vallas is the superintendent of the Recovery School District of Louisiana, and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and the School District of Philadelphia....
, Chico helped add 1,000 officers to the police force and improved neighborhoods through a program called Neighborhoods Alive.
Chicago Public Schools board
In 1995, the Illinois state legislature passed the Chicago School Reform Act, which gave the Mayor of Chicago unprecedented new control over Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
(CPS). Daley asked Chico to become the CEO, but Chico refused because he was resuming his law career. Chico instead recommended that Daley appoint colleague Paul Vallas
Paul Vallas
Paul Gust Vallas is the superintendent of the Recovery School District of Louisiana, and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and the School District of Philadelphia....
as CEO, and Chico was named chairman of the School Reform Board of Trustees. City Hall insiders did not expect them to succeed, as Chico had many opponents from his time as the mayoral chief of staff and he had already suggested his intentions to succeed Mayor Daley. Vallas was also expected to eventually seek statewide office. However, during their administration test scores improved, the budget was balanced, and graduation rates rose. Then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
hailed the school system as a national model, a decade after William Bennett
William Bennett
William John "Bill" Bennett is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W...
, then U.S. Secretary of Education, had criticized it as the worst public school system in the nation.
Tensions between Chico and Vallas began in 1998 after Vallas revoked an insurance contract over complaints that subcontractors were receiving unfair treatment. Chico had strong ties to the insurance broker and disagreed with the decision. The tensions grew as a private poll conducted in 1999 indicated that the public identified Vallas with school reform more than Chico. Chico resented this, even though his part-time role of presiding over monthly board meetings was dwarfed by the CEO's full-time employment. While chairmen, Chico's judgemnt was questioned after he hired a former journalist for a senior position on the Board of Education who had previously taken money from a politician that he had covered.
Chico was also partly responsible for efforts to preserve and restore hundreds of murals in the public schools, which had been commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
during the Progressive
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
and New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
eras. They had since been hidden under layers of dirt and paint. Under his administration, CPS appointed an Arts Education Task Force and a Bureau of Cultural Arts.
Many clients of Altheimer & Gray contracted with the school board, forcing Chico to abstain on hundreds of votes. The firm's clients received contracts that totaled $577 million during Chico's tenure, but Chico claims that those clients had received contracts before he arrived and still did afterwards.
In 1997 Chico was named Outstanding School Board President by the Illinois State Board of Education for his reforms in education and fiscal policies. While the schools saw a rise in test scores, they were criticized for becoming "test-prep mills". In 2001, a dip in test scores prompted Daley to consider appointing new management, and Chico resigned.
2004 campaign for U.S. Senate
In 2004, Chico ran for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Republican U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald. He was the first Democrat to declare his candidacy, doing so on July 30, 2002, during a rally with Hispanic leaders. Despite being well funded, the campaign ran out of money when it couldn't gain enough support and momentum. Reports suggest that while donations to organizations such as the SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
may have helped, the fall of Altheimer & Gray kept his support low. Chico also may have overestimated Hispanic support.
His Senate committee preferences included education, transportation, and foreign relations. He also criticized the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
and the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
, but supported gay marriage, abortion rights, stem cell research, the death penalty, and universal healthcare. Chico was the only candidate who supported gay marriage out of all seven Democrats and eight Republicans. Then-State Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
ultimately won the nomination over six other candidates including Chico, who won only five percent of the vote.
Chicago Park District board
In October 2007, Mayor Daley appointed Chico as president of the Chicago Park DistrictChicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
Board of Commissioners. The city was planning a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics; many of the proposed venues were on park land, so Chico faced the task of improving investments, planning parks, and upgrading facilities. During his tenure, he supported the construction of a new soccer field in Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
despite opposition from local residents. In 2010, he stepped down and was replaced by Bryan Traubert.
City Colleges of Chicago board
In March 2010, Mayor Daley appointed Chico to the board of trustees of the City Colleges of ChicagoCity Colleges of Chicago
The City Colleges of Chicago is a system of seven community colleges which provide learning opportunities for Chicago residents at the schools or online, and also members of the US military through the Navy Campus to enhance their knowledge and skills. Student enrollment was 115,000 in 2007...
and recommended that the board elect Chico president. Along with Chancellor Cheryl Hyman, Chico reformed the City Colleges budget by laying off 225 employees, removing unfilled jobs, and reducing executive spending to increase spending on technology and training for students. Furthermore, Chico and Hyman reduced taxation on property for two straight years, repealed the system's "open-door" admissions policy, and cancelled nursing programs. He resigned 8 months later to run for Mayor of Chicago.
2011 campaign for Mayor of Chicago
On September 27, 2010, Chico announced that he would run for mayor of Chicago in 2011. He was one of six candidates on the ballot. By January 31, 2011, Chico had raised $2.5 million in campaign funds.Chico pledged to hire 2,000 police officers but did not offer specifics on how he would raise the funds. He opposed making the school board an elected body, and he favored extending the school day and school year. Chico picking up endorsements from unions that represented, among others, police officers, firefighters, laborers, painters, operating engineers, iron workers, roofers, and sheet metal workers. If elected, Chico would have severed ties with his law firm, but he would not have prevented it from lobbying for clients seeking city contracts. His wife's consulting firm on education would not have been allowed to do business with city government.
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
was considered to be the leading candidate before the election. Chico, who had 19% support according to a February 10 poll, was considered "the rival with the best chance of forcing him into a runoff". During the election on February 22, Emanuel's 55% support dwarfed Chico's 24% support. Chico won in 10 of Chicago's 50 wards
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
, while Emanuel won 40. The campaign's communications director attributed the loss in part to Chico's focus on fundraising and resulting lack of time for media interviews. Furthermore, she claimed that controversy over Emanuel's eligibility to run for mayor may have diverted the focus of the press away from the other candidates. After the election, Chico remained involved in the runoff elections for other city offices, endorsing a candidate for 25th Ward alderman.
State Board of Education
Chico was named chairman of the Illinois State Board of EducationIllinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the...
in June, 2011. His confirmation was delayed as a result of questions regarding his ties to the Save-A-Life Foundation, "a charity that is undergoing a probe within Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan has been the 41st Attorney General of the US state of Illinois since 2003, when she became the first female attorney general for Illinois...
’s office."