Good news, Rahm Emanuel — you are eligible to run for Mayor of Chicago!
Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel leads all polls by double digits in his quest to become the next Mayor of Chicago. Which is why his fellow competitors have been pulling out all stops to halt his seemingly assured trip to the winner’s circle.
But how do you stop a freight train at 100 MPH? If that train is Rahm Emanuel on his way to victory, you play dirty and label him “ineligible.”
For months, competitors have been trying to make the point that Emanuel can not run for Mayor of Chicago, because he does not meet the city’s one year residency requirement. They’ve listed his years of living in Washington, DC while working at the White House as basis for their argument. But Emanuel countered that although he has been in service to his country by working at the White House, his official residence is and has always been Chicago. Emanuel added that if that rule applied to him, then no member of congress could ever seek reelection since they work and frequently stay in Washington. He even explained how his wife left her wedding dress in their home in Chicago, which no one would do if they didn’t really live there.
But yesterday, Cook County circuit court judge Mark Ballard said Emanuel’s job “as service in the Executive Office of the President satisifies the statutory requirement,” and “there was sufficient evidence to support … Candidate’s residency.”
So, Rahm can run! And while his competitor’s lick their wounds and look for ways to appeal the judge’s decision, the Rahm Emanuel camp is almost certainly already planning a mayoral victory party.
