Chicago voters set to pick Jackson Jr. replacement

Debbie Halvorson, Alderman Anthony Beale, and Rep. Robin Kelly.

Chicago voters are poised to decide who takes over the congressional seat previously held by Jesse Jackson Jr., who resigned in November and has since pled guilty to misusing hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars on personal expenses.

The winner of today's Democratic primary in the heavily Democratic second district is widely expected to triumph in the April 9 special election.

There are 14 Democrats in the race - along with four Republicans - but three real Democratic frontrunners: Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, Alderman Anthony Beale and former state Rep. Robin Kelly. One recent poll by Victory Research for WCKG-AM Radio showed Halvorson with a slight lead, holding 21 percent of the vote to Kelly's 17 percent. 

The race has become something of a proxy battle between New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the National Rifle Association. Bloomberg's Independence USA PAC spent more than $1 million against Halvorson over her "A" rating from the NRA, saying her "record on gun safety has been entirely devoid of any semblance of the kind of common-sense reforms that will keep Americans safer from the scourge of gun violence."

Chicago has been hard hit by gun violence, something President Obama pointed out in a speech there on February 15 in which he noted that 443 people were killed with firearms in Chicago last year.

• Gun debate takes center stage in Ill. house race
• Obama: Urban violence "not just a gun issue"

Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., joined Bloomberg in endorsing Kelly in the race, saying she "supports common sense gun control measures such as a comprehensive ban on assault weapons, the elimination of gun show loopholes and a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines."

Beale, meanwhile, has worked to shift the focus of the race to jobs.

While campaigning last weekend, Halvorson railed against Bloomberg for trying to influence the race, CBS Chicago reported. 

"The first thing out of their mouths is, we're sick of those commercials," she said of voters, adding that they are telling her: "We're voting for you, we don't want the mayor of New York coming in and trying to buy a seat in Congress." 

Kelly has denied allegations that she has ties to Bloomberg's PAC, calling the accusations "ridiculous."

[Donnie_G]

This is just NYC Mayor Bloomberg's way of applying the whip to the backs of Cook County's plantation field hands and telling them to "Step & Fetch It".

[judymar14]

Chicago's gun violence is not committed with assault weapons, but with hand guns in ghettos. If this would be addressed it would be racist. It can't be racist if assault rifle owners are used to be the heart of the problem which it isn't, never will be.

[perkinshenry]

I have read many comments suggesting that the Chicago voters do not have the requsites needed to make the right choice for this congressional seat. If that is true, it is no worse than voters in Kentucky that voted in Mr. Mitch "one term" McConnell, or Ohio voters who voted in Mr. John "tearjerker" Boehner. Let the Chicago voters decide and then see if their choice will be a poor one such as with Todd Akin or others we have had to endure, or if instead the new congressman (woman) will be a positive asset to Chicago and to our nation.

[GOODBYE-AMERICA--]

Those racist idiots would never elect Debbie Halvorson.
It would be a cold day in Hell(Chicago) if they did.

[judymar14]

Bobby Rush is next to sainthood with Chicago's black constiuents, the people will vote for who he says to vote for, another Jesse Jackson jr. Rush's brother was caught with his hands in the cookie jar, but only from the county so it was swiftly swept under the rug. The brother Rush got his job do to being a Rush in the first place.

[Donnie_G]

NYC Mayor Bloomberg is merely showing the Illinois and Chicago Democratic Organizations how he keeps his plantation field hands in line in "The Big Apple". He apparently doesn't think that Chicago and Cook County are very good at applying the whip to their slave minded minions. Of course he's wrong. The field hands of Chicago and Cook County have always done exactly what they are told to do and are not about to change now.

[BCSaugerties]

Wait until it is Mr President Bloomberg , your all gonna be sorry then .

[tejas59]

Why is the mayor of New York trying to sink a candidate...another reason we need to get PAC's and money out of politics...

[1stdaygirl]

This kind of thing is exactly why I left the Chicago area, and specifically the area of constituancy where Jesse Jackson Jr. served. When people do not understand the responsibilities of freedom, think of nothing but government handouts, look for loopholes that undermine democracy, and just plain do not care about anything or anyone but their own immediate wants -- there is bound to be a lack of in the overall quality of life in a community. This has been happening in the entire Chicago area for quite some time, so there was no adjacent community to move to. Even Dyer, IN is getting bad. With that said, what kind of future does the area hold? Not a pretty picture.

Illinois now has had 2 recent governors in the pokey, Sauk Village has had 2 school superintendents in the pokey, Chicago Heights operates strip joints and gambling since Ciambrone left. It is sooooo corrupt that people just take it in stride and shrug it off as normal. They have no idea that it is not. With all these people in trouble -- one can only ask-- did they think this was normal?? Actually, perhaps the biggest question yet (since everyone is corrupt) is WHO Wanted Them Out?? Who is that WHO?? I mean things go along just fine and dandy with all the corruption and everyone is happy -- and then one day "uh-oh."

I remember driving through the intersection of 394 and Sauk Trail when Jesse Jackson Jr. was up for election. There was a huge billboard sign with him shaking hands with some white guy with a long Greek name. I wondered, 'Who the heck is that white guy?' And ---- a couple of days later it was on the local news that this Calument City "Banker" had mob ties etc. etc. etc. and a little later than that the billboard sign came down. When this story about Jesse Jackson Jr. broke, this was all I could think about. It is very troubling.

What hope does a new election bring? Probably not a whole lot, especially in the Chicago area. If it isn't the shameless "Yellow Journalism" that is so prevalent nationally, there is also the shameless ballot stuffing and whatever else they do to tweak elections, especially in the Chicago area. Last I heard, there were usually 200 or more complaints sent in to the Cook County Board of Elections on any given election - and only about 2 followed up on. The people of Chicago just do not understand the responsibilities of democracy.

[realitycheck212]

Just another rich guy, trying to 'buy' an election. Keep the 'rich' out of politics, thank you.