Dr. Wilson Placed Third in Mayoral Race but Supporters say he’s Still Their Winner

Wilson to meet with Garcia soon

By Chinta Strausberg

While he finished third in a five-way mayoral race, supporters late Tuesday night called mayoral hopeful Dr.Willie Wilson a winner who stepped up to take on Mayor Rahm Emanuel who made history in being the first Chicago mayor forced into a run-off.

Armed with a nearly $15million war chest, Emanuel failed to get the 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a run-off. On Tuesday, April 7^th, Emanuel, who received 45.4percent of the vote or 208,305 votes, will face off with second runner-up Jesus“Chuy” Garcia who with 95.7 percent of the precincts reporting received 33.9percent or 155,545 votes. Dr. Wilson received 10.6 percent of the vote, or48,660 votes. Bob Fioretti received 33,911 votes, or 7.4 percent of the vote, and William “Dock” Walls received 12,692 votes, or 2.8 percent of the vote.

At his campaign headquarters held at the Swissotel, 340 East Wacker, Wilson, his wife, Janette, and his supporters like Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7^th), Greg Livingston, his campaign manager, and Rev. Dr. Stephen J. Thurston, pastor of the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church and president of the National Baptist Convention of America, said to them Wilson is still a winner.

With a huge TV screen in the room that continued displaying a rolling vote total of the election and amid chants of “We want Willie,” Livingston said, “This is a new day in Chicago referring to the self-made millionaire who only has a 7^th grade education.

“The numbers may not say it,but we know in our hearts that Dr. Willie Wilson has won in every aspect,”Thurston said. Saying they are excited about the outcome, Thurston praised Wilson for “standing up for us…sacrificing for us, and we are grateful for a man like Dr. Willie Wilson” he said was never ashamed to pray.

Just before Wilson, who has never run for public office before and used $1 million of his own money, gave his concession speech, Rep. Davis referred to horse racing and the categories of winning like “win, place or show. Either way you cut it, we already know that not only has Dr. Wilson won but everybody in this room is a winner….”

Speaking from the podium where he was joined by his wife, Davis, former Senator Rickey Hendon, Livingston, his wife, Jeanette, ministers and other supporters, Wilson said, “We made a difference in the city of Chicago.” “I know Chicago a lot better today than I did yesterday.”

On who he will support in the April 7^th runoff, Wilson said, “We will come out and will decide which way we will be going” explaining that he will be meeting with Garcia in the near future.

Wilson confirmed that Garcia did call him, and he congratulated his placing second in the mayoral race. He also mentioned Fioretti and Walls., but when Wilson mentioned the name Emanuel, his supporters booed.

Wilson said he is not through with politics and will “deal with them about our schools.” Throughout the campaign, Wilson was very critical of Mayor Emanuel for closing 50 schools located mostly in the African American community, and these red light cameras have to go,” he said to a cheering audience.

“Major corporations should not be running our city. The citizens should…,” said Wilson. “We will continue to be a major player around this country from now on…. All things work for good if your heart is right with Christ.’

In an interview with this reporter, Davis, who initially supported Garcia having collected more than 2,000 signatures, but switched to Wilson during the campaign, said in light of the April 7^th runoff , “The first signatures we were getting were for Chuy Garcia.” Davis said there could be a black/Hispanic coalition if people “work hard enough and if people were willing to negotiate and displace sensitivity.”

Saying he has been trying to develop a black/Hispanic coalition ever since he has been in politics. “Some of us have never given up on this idea of black/Latino coalition.” Davis said his voting record would prove that. “I’ve never given up on this notion,” he said referring to a viable African American/Latino coalition but he admitted, “It requires a lot of work. It requires a tremendous amount of sensitivity, and it requires people believing that something is important enough for them to do it.”

The congressman said it is important to have this coalition because the “issues, concerns of these population groups not only in Chicago” are similar in both ethnic groups.

“I used to pick cotton with migrant farm workers. It ain’t just about Chicago. It’s about the nation…the country. I’ve always been philosophically attuned to a collation between groups of people in this country who have been at the bottom; so it won’t be nothing new for me,” Davis said.

On Wilson, Davis said, “No matter what Dr. Wilson gets in the vote, he is a winner. They are proud of the fact that he was willing to step out, put himself on the line, do the unconventional, do something that many political analysis would think a person would never do…come into a race a week before the deadline…finance the whole operation himself.

“The one thing that I am not excited about is that the community didn’t necessarily help finance…didn’t necessarily buy into it the way I would hope they would have bought in. You can’t expect any one person to carry on his shoulders the desires and hopes, and aspirations of a whole group of people. That is the only disappointment I have,”said Davis.

“Dr. Wilson did his part. He did what he could, but I am not sure the community did its part,” the congressman said.

Dr. Wilson had his“Singsation Band” to perform along with the “Extreme Dance Ministry.”

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.