Illinois's 5th congressional district special election, 2009
Encyclopedia
A special election was held in Illinois's 5th congressional district
in 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel
. On April 7, Democratic
nominee Michael Quigley defeated Republican
nominee Rosanna Pulido
and Green
nominee Matt Reichel
. Quigley was sworn in on April 21 and will serve out the current congressional term
.
Emanuel officially resigned from the House of Representatives
, effective January 2, in a letter to his constituents and Illinois
Governor Rod Blagojevich
. Emanuel was named White House Chief of Staff
by incoming
President-elect
Barack Obama
. Emanuel was first elected to Congress from Illinois's 5th congressional district in 2002. His resignation followed being re-elected to a fourth term.
The governor's office
announced that a special primary election would be held on March 3 and special general election would be held on April 7. State law requires the governor to set a date for a congressional special election within five days of a vacancy being created. State law mandates that a general election must be held within 115 days of the vacancy. In an effort to cut costs and help save money, the date of the special general election coincided with municipal elections scheduled in Chicago
, Cook County, and surrounding metropolitan areas.
There were 24 candidates representing three political parties in the March 3 special primary election. The Democrats had 13 candidates; the Republicans had six candidates; and the Greens had five candidates.
Quigley, a 50-year-old Cook County commissioner
, won the Democratic Party's primary with 22% of the vote. He defeated a strong field of Democrats, including state representatives
John Fritchey
(District 11) and Sara Feigenholtz
(District 12), physician
Victor Forys, and Chicago City Council
alderman
Patrick J. O'Connor (40th Ward).
Pulido, a Mexican-American and director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, won the Republican Party's primary with 25% of the vote. She defeated a handful of local businessmen, including Tom Hanson, David Anderson, Gregory Bedell, Daniel S. Kay, and Jon Stewart.
Reichel, a 27-year-old activist and political operative, won the Green Party's primary with 34% of the vote. He defeated four other candidates for the party's nomination. Reichel's margin of victory over fellow Green Party nominee Deb Gordils was extremely small—only 11 votes. Reichel won with 166 compared to Gordils' 155.
Nearly a month after the primaries, the three candidates took part in the April 7 special general election. Democratic Party candidate Michael Quigley defeated Republican Party candidate Rosanna Pulido and Green Party candidate Matt Reichel. Quigley won with 30,561 votes (69.2%); Pulido had 10,662 (24.2%) and Reichel had 2,911 (6.6%).
The election did not receive a great deal of coverage, due to the district's heavy Democratic lean. The Republican Party did not put up a top-tier candidate, acknowledging that they were not even focusing on the race This is highlighted in the fact that the Republican nominee was the founder of an anti-illegal-immigration group, running in a district that is one-quarter Hispanic. The real fight was for the Democratic nomination, which would almost assure being elected to Congress. In fact, over 12,000 more votes were cast in the Democratic Primary than there were in the general election.
Illinois's 5th congressional district
The 5th Congressional District of Illinois was created as part of the 28th United States Congress, which first met on March 4, 1843; it was initially represented by Stephen A. Douglas, whose Kansas-Nebraska Act prompted the creation of the Republican Party...
in 2009 to fill the seat vacated by 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...
. On April 7, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee Michael Quigley defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee Rosanna Pulido
Rosanna Pulido
Rosanna Pulido, born 1956 in Chicago, was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in the April 7th, 2009 special election for Illinois's 5th congressional district. Pulido won the Republican Primary on March 3, 2009...
and Green
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
nominee Matt Reichel
Matt Reichel
Matthew Reichel is an Illinois politician and activist. A member of the Green Party, Reichel is the party's candidate for the US Congress in Illinois' 5th congressional district in 2010. He was also the party's candidate for Congress in Illinois's 5th congressional district 2009 special election...
. Quigley was sworn in on April 21 and will serve out the current congressional term
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
.
Emanuel officially resigned from the House of Representatives
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, effective January 2, in a letter to his constituents and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Governor 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...
. Emanuel was named White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
by incoming
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
President-elect
President-elect of the United States
President-elect of the United States is the title used for an incoming President of the United States in the period between the general election on Election Day in November and noon eastern standard time on Inauguration Day, January 20, during which he is not in office yet...
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...
. Emanuel was first elected to Congress from Illinois's 5th congressional district in 2002. His resignation followed being re-elected to a fourth term.
The governor's office
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
announced that a special primary election would be held on March 3 and special general election would be held on April 7. State law requires the governor to set a date for a congressional special election within five days of a vacancy being created. State law mandates that a general election must be held within 115 days of the vacancy. In an effort to cut costs and help save money, the date of the special general election coincided with municipal elections scheduled in Chicago
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...
, Cook County, and surrounding metropolitan areas.
There were 24 candidates representing three political parties in the March 3 special primary election. The Democrats had 13 candidates; the Republicans had six candidates; and the Greens had five candidates.
Quigley, a 50-year-old Cook County commissioner
Cook County Board of Commissioners
The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district for four year terms. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, is the nation's second largest county with a population of 5.2 million residents...
, won the Democratic Party's primary with 22% of the vote. He defeated a strong field of Democrats, including state representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
John Fritchey
John Fritchey
John Alden Fritchey, IV is an American attorney and politician. He is a Democratic member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, representing the 12th District since 2010.-Early life:...
(District 11) and Sara Feigenholtz
Sara Feigenholtz
Sara Feigenholtz is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives who has represented the 12th District since 1995. The District includes the lakefront communities of Lake View, Lincoln Park and the Near North neighborhood in the city of Chicago.-Background:Sara Feigenholtz's...
(District 12), physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Victor Forys, and Chicago City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Patrick J. O'Connor (40th Ward).
Pulido, a Mexican-American and director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, won the Republican Party's primary with 25% of the vote. She defeated a handful of local businessmen, including Tom Hanson, David Anderson, Gregory Bedell, Daniel S. Kay, and Jon Stewart.
Reichel, a 27-year-old activist and political operative, won the Green Party's primary with 34% of the vote. He defeated four other candidates for the party's nomination. Reichel's margin of victory over fellow Green Party nominee Deb Gordils was extremely small—only 11 votes. Reichel won with 166 compared to Gordils' 155.
Nearly a month after the primaries, the three candidates took part in the April 7 special general election. Democratic Party candidate Michael Quigley defeated Republican Party candidate Rosanna Pulido and Green Party candidate Matt Reichel. Quigley won with 30,561 votes (69.2%); Pulido had 10,662 (24.2%) and Reichel had 2,911 (6.6%).
The election did not receive a great deal of coverage, due to the district's heavy Democratic lean. The Republican Party did not put up a top-tier candidate, acknowledging that they were not even focusing on the race This is highlighted in the fact that the Republican nominee was the founder of an anti-illegal-immigration group, running in a district that is one-quarter Hispanic. The real fight was for the Democratic nomination, which would almost assure being elected to Congress. In fact, over 12,000 more votes were cast in the Democratic Primary than there were in the general election.
General election
Democratic Party primary
Republican Party primary
Green Party primary
Democratic Party candidates
- Mike Quigley (campaign website), county commissioner for Cook CountyCook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
- Frank Annunzio (campaign website), great nephew and namesake of longtime Chicago Rep. Frank AnnunzioFrank AnnunzioFrank Annunzio was an American politician from Chicago, Illinois.Annunzio, an Italian-American was born in Chicago, where he remained for his entire childhood and much of his adult life. He attended Crane Technical High School and DePaul University...
- Paul Bryar (campaign website), physician at Northwestern Memorial HospitalNorthwestern Memorial HospitalNorthwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
and professor at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Feinberg School of MedicineFeinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois and situated near Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile, is one of Northwestern University's 11 schools and colleges... - Cary Capparelli (campaign website), marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
consultant - Jan H. Donatelli (campaign website), former Mission Commander in the United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and former airline pilot. - Sara FeigenholtzSara FeigenholtzSara Feigenholtz is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives who has represented the 12th District since 1995. The District includes the lakefront communities of Lake View, Lincoln Park and the Near North neighborhood in the city of Chicago.-Background:Sara Feigenholtz's...
(campaign website), State RepresentativeIllinois House of RepresentativesThe Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from... - Victor Forys (campaign website), physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
- John FritcheyJohn FritcheyJohn Alden Fritchey, IV is an American attorney and politician. He is a Democratic member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, representing the 12th District since 2010.-Early life:...
(campaign website), State Representative - Thomas Geoghegan (campaign website), labor attorney and authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, slightly idiotic - Carlos Monteagudo (campaign website), public sector psychiatristPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and social entrepreneurSocial entrepreneurshipSocial entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a... - Patrick J. O'Connor (campaign website), Chicago aldermanChicago City CouncilThe Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
- Roger Thompson (campaign website), businessman
- Charles WheelanCharles WheelanCharles 'Charlie' Wheelan is the author of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate in the special election for Illinois's 5th congressional district, the seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel....
(campaign website), Senior Lecturer at the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and author of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal ScienceNaked Economics: Undressing the Dismal ScienceNaked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science is a book by Charles Wheelan that seeks to translate basic economic issues into a format that can be easily read by people with little or no previous knowledge of economics...
Republican Party candidates
- Rosanna PulidoRosanna PulidoRosanna Pulido, born 1956 in Chicago, was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in the April 7th, 2009 special election for Illinois's 5th congressional district. Pulido won the Republican Primary on March 3, 2009...
(campaign website), State Director of Illinois Minuteman Project - David Anderson (campaign website), chemist and small business owner
- Gregory Bedell (campaign website), attorney and lecturer on U.S. constitutional law
- Tom Hanson (campaign website), businessman who ran against Emanuel in 2008 and received 49,000 votes
- Daniel S. Kay (campaign website), businessman
- Jon Stewart (campaign website), former professional wrestler, and former candidate for Illinois's 10th district
Green Party candidates
- Matt ReichelMatt ReichelMatthew Reichel is an Illinois politician and activist. A member of the Green Party, Reichel is the party's candidate for the US Congress in Illinois' 5th congressional district in 2010. He was also the party's candidate for Congress in Illinois's 5th congressional district 2009 special election...
(campaign website), activistActivismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
(formerly candidate for the Democratic nomination) - Mark Arnold Fredrickson (campaign website), community activistActivismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, investigative blogger and financial analystFinancial analystA financial analyst, securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.-Job:...
(2004 Democratic Party Primary Congressional candidate) - Deb Leticia Gordils (campaign website), businesswomanEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, (2003 33rd Ward Chicago Aldermanic candidate) - Simon Ribeiro (campaign website), former private tutor
Other candidates
- Alan Augustson, social scientistSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, planning specialist and management consultantManagement consultingManagement consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
left race due to wife's health issues. Will still appear on ballot - Pete Dagher, former Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam 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...
and Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack 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...
staffer. - Jay Paul Deratany (campaign website), attorney and former Cook County Board of Review candidate
- Deb MellDeb MellDeborah L. "Deb" Mell is an American politician from Chicago. She is a Democrat and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 40th district, elected in 2008 and taking office on January 14, 2009.-Early life, education and career:...
, State Representative - Justin ObermanJustin ObermanJustin Oberman served as a founding member and senior executive at the Transportation Security Administration , where he participated in several critical aspects of the agency’s start-up, including the hiring of 60,000 employees and taking responsibility for security at 429 airports in 12 months’...
(campaign website), former Transportation Security AdministrationTransportation Security AdministrationThe Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
director - Eugene SchulterEugene SchulterGene Schulter was alderman of the 47th ward of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 1975 and served until his retirement in 2011.- Early life :...
, Chicago alderman - Joey Vartanian (campaign website), bar owner
- Israel Vasquez
Election information
- Candidate filing search Illinois State Board of Elections, list of candidates with the current status of each
- Candidates and news full coverage from the Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
- Replacing Rahm full coverage from the Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
- Pupovac, Jessica Race is on for Rahm's seat, and it's filled with political newcomers, Chicago Journal, January 5, 2009, includes photos of candidates
- Chicago Elections Wiki