In the racket over Rahm Emanuel’s residency, a key issue has been ignored. Emanuel claims he’s been a Chicago resident for the last year, as required of mayoral candidates, because he owns a house on the north side, in Lakeview. Some of his opponents say he shouldn’t be allowed to run because he rented out the house while he lived in Washington, where he was serving as President Obama’s chief of staff.
Unusual circumstances led to Byrne’s victory in the 1979 Democratic primary. Right before the election a blizzard struck Chicago—this was back before global warming—and no one could get to the polls except for Magnificent Mile residents, who were wealthy enough to own snowshoes. The citywide turnout—12—was a record low, and consisted of Byrne and several relatives and friends, who boosted her to the nomination in a 7-5 landslide. In the general election she routed Republican Wallace Johnson of North Lake Shore Drive.
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With one asterisk. When Harold Washington died of a heart attack in 1987, vice mayor David Orr, alderman from Rogers Park, assumed the office. He was supposed to act as mayor only until aldermen decided which south-sider would next don the mantle. Orr quickly grew enchanted with the gig, however, and schemed to extend it, hanging out in bars on 63rd Street and claiming he was really from Marquette Park. But he blew his cover by ordering a daiquiri and was ousted from the mayor’s post after only eight days. In the ensuing scandal he was demoted from alderman to Cook County clerk.
