Rahm Emanuel says he will be a better mayor for Chicago in his second term, thanks to the strong campaign run by his opponent, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. Emanuel defeated Garcia in the city’s first-ever mayoral runoff.
Emanuel thanked voters for “putting me through my paces” during a speech Tuesday night at a union hall. He had failed to win a majority in a five candidate race in February, forcing the runoff.
Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia conceded the race with a speech at the University of Illinois at Chicago by saying he doesn’t consider it a loss. He says he was able to bring thousands of people together through his campaign. During the election season, Garcia criticized Emanuel for not listening to neighborhood residents. He also earned the support of the Chicago Teachers Union, whose relationship with Emanuel had been severely damaged when Emanuel pushed to close fifty Chicago Public Schools.
