County commissioners give preliminary OK to new district map

A proposed map redrawing boundaries for the Cook County Board of Commissioners districts received overwhelming preliminary approval Friday. Fifteen of the 17 commissioners signed off on the plan, which is slated for a final vote Tuesday. The lone dissenting vote came from Commissioner Earlean Collins …

Final House primary totals delayed until April

The Democratic nominee for state representative in the 7th District will not be named until at least April 3, according to county officials. Fifteen votes currently separate Rory Hoskins from Emanuel “Chris” Welch in the too-close-to-call Democratic primary. There was no candidate in the Republican …

Final House primary totals delayed until April

The Democratic nominee for state representative in the 7th District will not be named until at least April 3, according to county officials. Fifteen votes currently separate Rory Hoskins from Emanuel “Chris” Welch in the too-close-to-call Democratic primary. There was no candidate in the Republican …

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 …

Welch leads by 15 votes

Emanuel “Chris” Welch is leading Rory Hoskins in 7th District state rep. race, according to unofficial vote totals. With all 87 precincts reporting, Welch has 39 percent; Hoskins has 38.87 percent; Beyonca Johnson has 13.68 percent and Princess C. Dempsey has 8.45 percent. But both …

Welch votes to hire boss’s son-in-law

Emanuel “Chris” Welch helped to hire his boss’s son-in-law as principal of Proviso East High School. Tony Valente, hired by Proviso High School District 209 in May 2011, is the son-in-law of Manny Sanchez, a founding partner of the law firm Sanchez, Hoffman Daniels, Forest …

Newspaper wins appeal for Welch 2002 police report

Hillside Police Department must turn over a 2002 police report describing the arrest of Emanuel “Chris” Welch for domestic battery, the Illinois attorney general ordered Friday. Forest Leaves has been seeking the report since January, but Hillside police refused a Freedom of Information Act request, …

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 …

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 …

Deficits, debt mark Welch’s Proviso leadership

Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s touts “tested and proven” — his campaign slogan — when explaining he is the only experienced candidate running for 7th District state representative. His position as president of the Proviso District 209 school board, he says, is proof that he is an …

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 …

Welch’s personal legal expense rejected

The state oversight panel that reviews Proviso High School District 209’s finances has routinely rejected expenses it doesn’t agree with. One example hit Emanuel “Chris” Welch squarely in the pocket. Welch is being sued personally by election lawyers Burt Odelson and Mark Sterk for allegedly …

Conway, Davis talk education, PAC money

Jacques Conway, who is opposing 7th District U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis in the March 20 Democratic primary, readily acknowledges the 70-year-old Davis is a Chicago icon. “I’m not running against Danny K. Davis. I’m running for the opportunity to serve our country,” Conway said …