12 Chicago aldermen facing runoff elections

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A dozen incumbent Chicago aldermen are involved in runoff elections and battling to keep their seats on city council.

Chicago runoffs are notorious for low turnouts, but the first-ever runoff for mayor has this year's aldermanic candidates concerned.

There's nervousness these days in the Chicago City Council. Twelve sitting aldermen failed to get a majority last month and face runoff elections.

"I have to run on Emma Mitts' record, 37th Ward," said 37th Ward Ald. Emma Mitts.

Mitts blames her runoff dilemma on last month's low turnout. Neither she nor her political ally Mayor Rahm Emanuel could get a majority despite their claims of economic success in the ward.

"Bringing in business, economic development and over 1,200 jobs," Mitts said.

"I'm running because our people deserve better," said Tara Stamps, an aldermanic candidate.

Stamps, Mitts' runoff opponent, is a CPS teacher who says the incumbent did not protest loudly enough when the mayor closed public schools.

"None of our elected officials stood with us or stood with our children and said listen, you don't close 50 schools in the city of Chicago," Stamps said.

Citywide, counting wards with no incumbent, there will 18 aldermanic runoffs April 7 in virtually every part of the city.

"There's going to be a much higher turnout as the result of the interest in the Mayoral race," Mike Fourcher said.

Fourcher, who publishes the political newsletter "Aldertrack", says that does not bode well for incumbents:

"If there's a larger turnout you can probably expect a lot more people coming out to throw the bums out in the runoffs," Fourcher said.

Stamps expects to do at least as well in 37 as mayoral challenger Jesus "Chuy" garcia. Both are supported by the Chicago teachers union that Stamps says will flood the ward with campaign workers.

"We are deliberate and intentional and methodic as teachers often are with turning out bodies," Stamps said.

Incumbent Mitts is bracing herself for a higher turnout April 7, even hoping many Garcia voters split their tickets.

"Some may vote for me and may not vote for the mayor. We have to let the constituents make their choice," Mitts said.

The Political Action Committee, or PAC, linked to Mayor Emanuel is helping some of the aldermanic incumbents. But the mayor, of course, has his own campaign and political survival to worry about.