Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle, the two most powerful politicians in Chicago-area government, rarely appear together in public. In fact, they almost never even mention each other. Neither will admit to a rivalry, but during the primary election season two years ago they endorsed opposing candidates in local and statewide races, and Preckwinkle is widely viewed as one of Emanuel’s potential challengers in the 2015 mayoral election.
Even before Sercye had a chance to speak, Preckwinkle ripped into the candidacy of former alderman Isaac Carothers, who’s running in the March 18 primary after serving federal time for bribery and tax evasion. “I believe those convicted of crimes can have second acts in life,” Preckwinkle said. “I also believe that abusing the public trust, taking bribes, and abusing tax dollars should disqualify you from holding elected office.”
In 1999, Carothers was elected 29th Ward alderman, defeating a candidate backed by Congressman Danny Davis, and in 2000 he ousted Davis as Democratic committeeman. For the next decade his ward organization controlled dozens of public-sector jobs and was the most potent political force on the west side.
Carothers concedes that it was “inappropriate” for the developer to pay for repairs to his house. But he insists that he never actually accepted a bribe, even though he pleaded guilty to doing so.
He and Carothers have been happy to blast away at each other. Carothers doesn’t refer to Boykin by name—he calls him “Danny Davis’s guy”—but questions what he and the congressman have accomplished. “Danny has always been more philosophical, and I believed in getting down and being sure things happen,” Carothers says.
Boykin’s closing argument is that he’s not the corrupt guy. “This is a two-person race,” Boykin says. “Any vote for anybody else is a vote for Ike Carothers.”
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