For more than 20 years Richard Daley has served as mayor of Chicago – and his announcement that he is stepping down next year may herald a shake-up in the West Wing involving Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff and one of President Obama’s closest aides.
Obama, a Chicago resident, paid tribute to Daley, saying: “No mayor in America has loved a city more or served a community with greater passion than Rich Daley. He helped build Chicago’s image as a world class city, and leaves a legacy of progress that will be appreciated for generations to come.”
At a press conference in Chicago’s City Hall, Daley said: “It’s time for Chicago to move on … The truth is I have been thinking about this for the past several months. In the end this is a personal decision, no more, no less.”
Speculation in Chicago and Washington DC quickly turned to Emanuel, who has long made public his interest in the job – while the timing could not be better from the White House’s point of view. With a crushing defeat in the US midterm elections looming, the need for Obama to reshuffle his senior staff after November was growing.
Emanuel refused to comment on the speculation, saying in a statement: “While Mayor Daley surprised me today with his decision to not run for re-election, I have never been surprised by his leadership, dedication and tireless work on behalf of the city and the people of Chicago.”
In the White House Emanuel has been a formidable operator, although deeply disliked on the left of the Democratic party, but the chance of a fresh start for Obama and the strains of the job would add up to an easy equation for both men.
Emanuel was born and raised in Chicago, and served in Congress as the representative for Illinois‘s fifth congressional district – a constituency in the city of Chicago. As a talented fundraiser and well-connected politician – he also served in senior positions in Bill Clinton’s White House – Emanuel would start the race for the Democratic nomination as the clear favourite, should he choose to enter.
Back in April this year, Emanuel told the interviewer Charlie Rose: “I hope Mayor Daley seeks re-election. I will work and support him if he seeks re-election. But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the city of Chicago. That’s always been an aspiration of mine.”
But there was a warning for Emanuel from Bobby Rush, the veteran Chicago congressman who defeated a young Barack Obama in a Democratic primary. “I must admonish the media to end its coordinated commentary on who will be the next mayor of the city of Chicago,” Rush said, “before anyone is deemed an imaginary front runner.”
Daley was first elected in 1989 but his popularity has dipped in recent years, because of the city’s crime problems, economic stagnation and failure to capture the 2016 Olympics. Daley’s father, also named Richard Daley, was mayor of the city for 21 years from 1955 and a hugely influential figure in the Democratic party nationally.
An editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times today described Daley as “one hell of a mayor,” adding: “Though his dictatorial style at times offended us, Chicago flourished during his two decades at the helm.”
Originally reported by the Guardian. Read the original article here.
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