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While his Senate pick was making his way to Washington—only to turn around and make his way back to a place he was actually wanted—Governor Rod Blagojevich set the dates for a pair of elections to determine who will fill the Fifth Congressional District seat recently vacated by Rahm Emanuel. So far 11 candidates have filed paperwork with federal election officials announcing their intention to run (though one of them, Blago sister-in-law Deb Mell, subsequently announced she’ll settle for her new seat in the state House instead). But that’s not the whole lineup: state rep John Fritchey is about to announce that he’s in, and at least a couple of Chicago aldermen and attorney/playwright Jay Paul Deratany have previously said they’re going for it too.
Jay Paul Deratany, attorney: “We’d like to bring some light to the back room deals.”
Tom Geoghegan, labor lawyer: “Unless we have government pick up the costs of pensions and health care, our companies can’t compete, and we’ll go on piling up huge trade deficits.”
Eugene Schulter, 47th Ward alderman: “Alderman Schulter has always been concerned about the small businesses in his ward.”
