Lilly landslide in 78th state rep race

Incumbent Camille Lilly cruised to reelection against challenger Michael Nardello in the 78th District state representative race. Unofficial vote totals said she took more than 77 percent of the vote: Lilly 5,558; Nardello, 1,654 (with 54 of 55 precincts reporting as of press time). Nardello …

Results show light election day turnout in Cook County

Representatives of Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office said voter turnout Tuesday was “very light” and there were no major voting problems during the day.

GOP leader endorses Democrat in primary

Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch got an unusual endorsement last week for his state representative bid: It came from a Republican. Illinois State Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano, R-77th, of Elmwood Park, isn’t just any Republican. Besides being Republican State Central 5th District committeeman, Saviano is also …

Brown, Munoz battle over who best to modernize circuit courts

Three blocks away in federal court in downtown Chicago, everything is computerized. But in the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office, lawyers say it’s still 1960. Paper and carbon rule. Only 3 percent of cases are filed online.

Judicial candidate ratings by Chicago-area bar associations

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Welch campaign invoking Obama name

A U.S. president usually doesn’t endorse a state rep candidate in a primary election. But that doesn’t prevent some candidates from trying to ride on the president’s coattails.

Obama-Welch campaign signs are promoting Barack Obama running for president and Emanuel “Chris” Welch running for state …

Proviso politician secures jobs, raises for friends, family

With statements like “Make it happen. I need her to be hired,” Emanuel “Chris” Welch has kept at least 19 close friends and relatives in good-paying jobs at Proviso High School District 209 where he is school board president. Most noteworthy is Welch’s brother, Billy …

Welch’s libel settlement delayed

While Emanuel “Chris” Welch is negotiating a settlement for defaming a well-known Chicago lawfirm, a court hearing revealed a law clerk was not involved in the libelous blog post. Welch, an attorney, is Proviso High School District 209 board president and is running for state …

Friends, family give back to Welch with cash, campaigning

Thirteen friends and family members are giving back to Emanuel “Chris” Welch by contributing to his campaign funds, directly campaigning or circulating petitions for his bid for state representative. The political contributors all work for Proviso High School District 209 where Welch, as school board …

Supreme Court: 4 battle for Supreme Court seat

The March 20 race for a vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court might be more important than any other on the ballot. The state’s highest court settles matters that can reach into communities throughout Illinois. For example, the court’s seven justices decided whether Rahm Emanuel …

78th District candidates set priorities at Oak Park forum

Camille Lilly and Michael Nardello, candidates for the 78th District state representative seat, spoke at the Oak Park and River Forest League of Women Voters candidate fair Saturday at the Dole Library in Oak Park. The event allowed just five minutes per candidate to outline …

Oak Park could decide 78th District race

Oak Park is shaping up as the primary battleground for an unusually competitive race for the 78th District Illinois House seat. The March 20 Democratic primary features incumbent Camille Y. Lilly vs. challenger Michael D. Nardello. Nardello holds a master’s degree in public service and …

Lilly goes door-to-door in new district

State Rep. Camille Lilly has been hitting the streets to get to know her constituents, old and new. On Feb. 24 she trudged through the snow on 900 and 1000 block of North Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park, knocking on doors. Since fall, she’s …

State Senate: Political veteran battles 1st-time office-seeker in 29th District Democratic race

One has to go back a decade to find a truly competitive election for the 29th Senate District, a North Shore district represented since then by state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest). Garrett’s looming departure, after an impressive legislative run, has created a political vacuum …

Ald. Ricardo Munoz challenging Dorothy Brown for court clerk

The most prominent Cook County primary race this year is for an office that generally is low-profile: clerk of the Circuit Court. Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd), who has been on the City Council since 1993, is challenging three-term incumbent Dorothy Brown, also of Chicago. At the heart of the race is what many rank-and-file lawyers privately regard as a scandal: the office’s inefficiency in handling court records and the frequency with which key documents go missing. One Chicago politician jokes that the office is so antiquated that it’s the largest consumer of carbon paper anywhere.