It’s hard to say exactly when the Democrats first started making the mess in the Tenth state legislative district that blessed us with indicted former rep Derrick Smith. How much time you got?
In any event, the committeemen selected Annazette Collins, whose singular achievement is that she spent ten years as the Tenth district state representative doing whatever house speaker Michael Madigan asked. Which makes her like most other Democrats in the house.
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Why Collins over Watkins? Because Illinois secretary of state Jesse White wanted her, and as the 27th Ward committeeman he had the most weighted votes to cast. And why did White want Collins? Well, largely because moving her up to the senate would create another vacancy that could be filled by another factotum.
In theory, that should have provided an opening to his primary opponent—except that the opponent was a longtime Republican named Tom Swiss whose billboards featured a black construction worker instead of his own face. So the arrest and subsequent indictment put voters in the predominantly black district in a quandary: Go for the guy who took the bribe, or the white Republican trying to pass as a black Democrat?
At this point you might wonder why Smith didn’t have the sense and decency to step down, if only to spare further shame and embarrassment for White, the man to whom he owes everything in his career.
And so were the fights. The back-and-forth included at least one monumental showdown, in the office of Alderman Emma Mitts, pitting White against Congressman Danny Davis. According to several sources, Davis, still sore that Smith was slated in the first place, told White, “We can take this outside if you want.” To which White said something like: “Why go outside—I’m right here.”
According to three rock-solid sources, White originally voted for Winters before he changed his mind at the last moment, apparently after getting a call from Madigan. But David Drucker, White’s spokesman, says that’s not true: “It was my understanding that the secretary had not committed to any candidate.”
