Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd Ward) won a second term with 55 percent of the vote Tuesday, handily beating five opponents, according to preliminary results.
Fioretti’s closest competitor for the 2nd Ward, attorney Genita Robinson, garnered about 31 percent of the 14,494 votes cast, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Despite winning endorsements from both The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune, Robinson was unable to force a runoff.
“I look forward to the next four years, which no doubt will provide many more opportunities to demonstrate the greatness of the 2nd Ward,” Fioretti said Tuesday night.
A bevy of about 75 supporters congregated at Buddy Guy’s Legends, located at 700 S. Wabash Ave, to watch the results. The crowd cheered, “four more years,” as Fioretti took the podium around 9:45 p.m.
“We are in the right position to participate in the necessary and important work of returning to the economic growth and vitality of Chicago,” said Fioretti, who at one time had considered running for mayor but decided to run for reelection to the city council after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
Robinson said she will run again for public office in the future, but did not specify which one. She said she looks forward to continuing to speak with people throughout the community and is proud of the volunteers, donors, supporters and voters who backed her.
“I have no regrets,” said Robinson who works as the executive director of the Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth Program. “I think we ran a hard and tough campaign.”
One of the most independent of the city’s 50 aldermen, Fioretti voted with former mayor Richard M. Daley 36 percent of the time, according to Dick Simpson, a professor at the University of Chicago at Illinois. Simpson was also a former alderman for the 44th Ward and a congressional candidate in 1992 and 1994.
Ald. Fioretti had more than $102,500 cash on hand, as of Dec. 31. Robinson had about $30,000, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Fioretti was backed by the AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31, the Service Employees International Union, The Chicago Journal and several key elected officials including Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).
Patricia Lemberg, a 2nd Ward resident, said she was not surprised with the election results, and said she hopes Fioretti will get right to work on crime and schools.
“I would like to see violence and education issues handled, as well as finishing the Congress Parkway beautification,” Lemberg said.
Fioretti said Tuesday night he would work to make city government more transparent and efficient. He also plans to significantly create and preserve jobs throughout the 2nd Ward.
“Every important decision that I made has been made with your input, your involvement, and for that I am proud,” Fioretti said.
First elected to office in 2007, Fioretti unseated 14-year incumbent Madeline Haithcock in a run-off. While in office, he has focused on job development, budgetary issues and getting equal amounts of money distributed to the ward.
“The 2nd Ward is the microcosm of the city of Chicago,” Fioretti said in describing the 2nd Ward as being racially, economically and socially varied. “With this campaign, I was again impressed at how diverse this ward is.”
Also running Tuesday were cab driver Melissa Callahan, stay-at-home father Enrique G. Perez and Federico Sciammarella, an assistant college professor at Northern Illinois University. None of the candidates received more than 5 percent of the vote.
