Injustice Watch and FWIW cover some of the same ground. Our beats partially overlap.
So it's no surprise that, from time to time, that site will scoop FWIW on Cook County judicial election news. As Injustice Watch did yesterday when it ran a post headlined, "Chicago ward boss eyes a seat on the bench in 2022 election."
So a tip of the hat to Kelly Garcia and Amy Quin for that.
Now, with journalistic courtesy having hopefully been satisfied, let us proceed to the questions raised by Ald. Chris Taliaferro's interest in an 11th Subcircuit vacancy.
Subcircuit boundaries are being redrawn for this election cycle (until now, we've been using the same subcircuit map in Cook County for 30 years).
As originally designed, subcircuits were intended to increase the presence of under-represented minorities on the Cook County bench. In 1990 that meant Blacks, Hispanics, and Republicans. It was this unlikely coalition that came together in the General Assembly to create Cook County's current subcircuit map. On the second attempt, at least. (The first attempt to create Cook County subcircuits failed a judicial challenge. See, People ex rel. Chicago Bar Assn. v. State Board of Elections, 136 Ill.2d 513 (1990).)
I'm not sure what coalition of interests will form to redraw those lines, although I'm pretty sure Republicans won't have a seat at the table this time. But, insofar as I know, there's no new map. Yet.
There are proposals out there. Frank Calabrese put out a proposal in this FWIW guest post this past May.
But we've seen remaps at all levels of government before. Ward and district boundaries shift dramatically, sometimes, as do their numeric designations.
In Cook County, bitter experience teaches that those who control the process will know everything they need to know to position themselves to remain in control long before the rest of us are clued in. So... does Ald. Taliaferro's interest in an 11th Subcircuit race signify that is there a "done deal" subcircuit map circulating among those that control the process? In other words, did Ald. Taliaferro spill the beans... or is he engaging in nothing more than wishful thinking?
We'll all find out eventually. If I find out anything sooner, I'll let you know.
Posts
4 comments:
He’s not the only Aldercreature trying to escape Lightfoot by running for judge. Brookins trying to get slated countywide and Leslie Hairston running in 5.
Disagree. Injustice Watch is committed to exposing institutional failures. Your blog just talks about the good, bad and ugly who want to “serve” in the circus. Your blog too often sucks up to the dunces and incompetents. When will you be running the expose about the sham Evans has been pushing called the resumption of civil jury trials? Didn’t think so.
I do so look forward to reading your site every day. When you launch it, be sure to let me know so I can add a link to it in the Sidebar.
This should be an entertaining contest due to the recent announcement that Barrett Pedersen intends to run too. Suburban Mayor vs. Westside Alderman.
Post a Comment