Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Illinois' highest court on Tuesday to overturn a ruling that knocked him off the ballot for Chicago mayor, calling the decision "squarely inconsistent" with previous rulings about the state's election law.
Rahm Emanuel runs to his car following a campaign stop at a bowling alley in Chicago Photo: GETTY
Mr Emanuel's lawyers filed the request a day after an appeals court booted him off the Feb. 22 ballot because he did not live in Chicago for a year before the election.
In the appeal, Mr Emanuel's attorneys called Monday's decision "one of the most far-reaching election law rulings ever" issued in Illinois. They said the ruling imposes "a new, significant limitation" on ballot access.
There was no immediate word on whether the high court would hear the case, or when the justices would decide whether to accept it.
Time was running short because the Chicago Board of Elections said it needed to begin printing ballots on Tuesday to be prepared for early voting, which starts on Monday.
Officials said they would start printing the ballots without Mr Emanuel's name among the choices.
Just hours after Monday's ruling, the campaign to replace retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley began to look like an actual race.
For months, three of the main candidates struggled for attention while Mr Emanuel outpolled and outraised them, blanketed the airwaves with television ads and gained the endorsement of former President Bill Clinton, who came to town to campaign for Mr Emanuel.
Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, city Clerk Miguel del Valle and former Chicago schools chief Gery Chico suddenly found themselves in the spotlight – and trying to win over Mr Emanuel supporters who suddenly may be up for grabs.
Even as Mr Emanuel vowed to fight the decision, Ms Braun urged voters to join her campaign "with your time, your effort or your money."
"I'm extending a hand of friendship to all the Chicagoans who have been supporting Mr. Emanuel and all those who haven't made their minds up yet," she said. "Going forward, we pledge to work to create a city great enough to provide opportunity for every family. But we can only do this if we come together."
Reporters surrounding Mr Chico outside a restaurant asked him if he was a front-runner – something that seemed inconceivable last week when a Chicago Tribune/WGN poll showed him with the support of just 16 per cent of voters surveyed compared with a whopping 44 per cent for Mr Emanuel. The same poll showed Ms Braun with 21 per cent support, and Mr del Valle with 7 per cent.
"I'm trying to get every vote I can from everybody in this city," said Mr Chico, who released records last week showing he had just over $2 million at his disposal, about one-fourth of the money available to Mr Emanuel.
In their 2-1 ruling on Monday overturning a lower court decision, the appellate justices said Mr Emanuel met the requirements to vote in Chicago but not to run for mayor because he had been living in Washington.
Challengers to Mr Emanuel's candidacy argued the Democrat did not qualify because he rented out his Chicago home and moved his family to Washington to work for President Barack Obama for nearly two years. Mr Emanuel – who quit his job and moved back to Chicago in October after Mr Daley announced he would not to seek a seventh term – has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was living in Washington at the president's request.
Mr Emanuel's lawyers promptly asked the state's highest court to stop the appellate ruling and hear an appeal as soon as possible. Lawyers also asked the court to tell Chicago election officials to keep his name on the ballot if it starts to print them.
Appellate litigation attorney Christopher Keleher said it's likely the court would rule against Mr Emanuel.
"I can tell you from experience that getting a reversal from any Supreme Court is difficult – even more so when you've got a truncated time frame," Mr Keleher said.
But Mr Emanuel said he was forging ahead.
"I have no doubt that we will in the end prevail at this effort. This is just one turn in the road," Mr Emanuel said, adding that the "people of the city of Chicago deserve the right to make the decision on who they want to be their next mayor."
For months, three of the main candidates struggled for attention while Mr Emanuel outpolled and outraised them, blanketed the airwaves with television ads and gained the endorsement of former President Bill Clinton, who came to town to campaign for Mr Emanuel.
Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, city Clerk Miguel del Valle and former Chicago schools chief Gery Chico suddenly found themselves in the spotlight – and trying to win over Mr Emanuel supporters who suddenly may be up for grabs.
Even as Mr Emanuel vowed to fight the decision, Ms Braun urged voters to join her campaign "with your time, your effort or your money."
"I'm extending a hand of friendship to all the Chicagoans who have been supporting Mr. Emanuel and all those who haven't made their minds up yet," she said. "Going forward, we pledge to work to create a city great enough to provide opportunity for every family. But we can only do this if we come together."
Reporters surrounding Mr Chico outside a restaurant asked him if he was a front-runner – something that seemed inconceivable last week when a Chicago Tribune/WGN poll showed him with the support of just 16 per cent of voters surveyed compared with a whopping 44 per cent for Mr Emanuel. The same poll showed Ms Braun with 21 per cent support, and Mr del Valle with 7 per cent.
"I'm trying to get every vote I can from everybody in this city," said Mr Chico, who released records last week showing he had just over $2 million at his disposal, about one-fourth of the money available to Mr Emanuel.
In their 2-1 ruling on Monday overturning a lower court decision, the appellate justices said Mr Emanuel met the requirements to vote in Chicago but not to run for mayor because he had been living in Washington.
Challengers to Mr Emanuel's candidacy argued the Democrat did not qualify because he rented out his Chicago home and moved his family to Washington to work for President Barack Obama for nearly two years. Mr Emanuel – who quit his job and moved back to Chicago in October after Mr Daley announced he would not to seek a seventh term – has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was living in Washington at the president's request.
Mr Emanuel's lawyers promptly asked the state's highest court to stop the appellate ruling and hear an appeal as soon as possible. Lawyers also asked the court to tell Chicago election officials to keep his name on the ballot if it starts to print them.
Appellate litigation attorney Christopher Keleher said it's likely the court would rule against Mr Emanuel.
"I can tell you from experience that getting a reversal from any Supreme Court is difficult – even more so when you've got a truncated time frame," Mr Keleher said.
But Mr Emanuel said he was forging ahead.
"I have no doubt that we will in the end prevail at this effort. This is just one turn in the road," Mr Emanuel said, adding that the "people of the city of Chicago deserve the right to make the decision on who they want to be their next mayor."
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