Willie Wilson endorses Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia in Chicago mayoral race

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former candidate Willie Wilson is supporting Jesus "Chuy" Garcia in the Chicago mayoral race. Wilson got more than 10 percent of the vote during last month's election and was courted by Garcia and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The vast majority of Willie Wilson's votes in February were cast in predominantly African-American wards, which are now the most contested battleground in the race for Chicago mayor.

"The community has directed me to endorse Chuy Garcia," Wilson said.

The millionaire businessman, for whom more than 50,000 Chicagoans voted in February, says he endorsed Garcia as part of a deal.

ABC7's Charles Thomas asked: "So what has Commissioner Garcia promised you?"

"The red light cameras. He promised to get rid of them. Equal opportunity for contracts and jobs throughout his whole administration. Also, he promised that I would have direct access to him in terms of giving some suggestions to him that are going to be good for the community," Wilson said.

Wilson texted his decision to Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the morning. An Emanuel spokesman wrote:"We only hope that Chuy Garcia shared his plans for the city of Chicago with Dr. Wilson in private because he has refused to disclose publicly to the voters how he intends to fund the hundreds of millions of dollars in spending promises he has made..."

"Chuy's advocating policies that will take us back to bleeding red ink which will bleed jobs and families," Emanuel said.

Not conceding any African-American votes, Emanuel was interviewed for cable TV at the Coalition for the Remembrance of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. The mayor has watched this week as Garcia was endorsed by Congressman Danny Davis, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, and former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones.

Thomas asks Rahm Emanuel: "It kind of looks at this point that you and Chuy Garcia are trying to 'outblack' each other?"

"Well, I don't know what that question means but let me say this: I think that being mayor means representing all parts of the city of Chicago," Emanuel said.

"I've done what the community has asked me to do," Wilson said.

Wilson said no matter what Garcia does April 7, he already considers himself a winner.

"I have made a difference. If I had just stayed on line and maybe just wrote a check to help a particular candidate, we wouldn't be in this runoff," Wilson said.

Wilson also made the point that if he had not decided to run and spend his own money doing so, Rahm Emanuel would have won a majority in the first and there would not be runoff election.

He says Garcia also has promised that if elected, Willie Wilson will have a direct line to the mayor's office.

EMANUEL, GARCIA COURT CHICAGO VOTERS

Emanuel is not conceding any voters to Garcia as the campaign takes the mayor to places he's never been before.

"My number one goal is to make sure everybody has a chance," Emanuel said.

The mayor took his message to cable TV's "Munir Muhammad Show," sponsored by the Coalition for the Remembrance of Elijah Muhammad, the historic leader of the Nation of Islam.

"We've made the tough decisions to reform city government," Emanuel said.

The mayor is pulling out all the stops to woo African American voters as this week runoff opponent Garcia won endorsements from congressman Danny Davis, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and Wilson.

"I think that being mayor means representing all parts of the city of Chicago," Emanuel said.

Downtown, Garcia added three of his county board colleagues to his growing list of endorsers.

"This is one more indication of the kind of effort that our campaign is bringing together," Garcia said.

Meanwhile, the mayor and his Political Action Committee are stepping up attacks on Garcia, including a broadcast TV ad questioning the challenger's fiscal plan, or lack thereof. During the CROE TV interview, Emanuel had a warning.

"Chuy's advocating policies that will take us back to bleeding red ink which will bleed jobs and families, and then you cannot raise taxes enough or cut services fast enough if you have a declining city," Emanuel said.