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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

UPDATE Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ames Middle School Victory despite Marines at polling places + Guzzardi wins in a rout

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Guzzardi wins in a rout:




Jay Travis: 'It would be an injustice to concede before every vote is counted'
I just spoke with Jay Travis who was on her way out of the Board of Elections. She's there today asking for a full accounting of every vote taken in the 26th District. As of now she is said to be trailing the incumbent Christian Mitchell by only a few hundred votes.Says Jay, Many were not given a proper ballot in over 15 precincts. In many precincts, including mine, voters were improperly turned a


Ames Middle School Victory despite Marines at polling places
D. McCoy photoWhile pro-Russian troops were surrounding the Crimean naval base, uniformed U.S. Marines were outside of  polling places on Chicago's northwest side where voting on whether or not to turn Ames Middle School into a Marine military academy. According to reports, the Marines were trying to persuade voters towards the militarization of Ames.But voters weren't intimidated. Two out of thre


Guzzardi wins in a rout

-- M. Klonsky photo

State House - District 39 - Dem Primary

March 18, 2014 - 11:04PM CT

Illinois - 91 of 91 Precincts Reporting - 100%

Name Votes Vote %
Guzzardi, Will 5,245 61%
Berrios, Toni (i) 3,402 39%


All you had to do was walk into the Logan Square Auditorium on Kedzie last night and take a look around to see why Will Guzzardi won big. The room was packed, not only with a diverse, raucous crowd of celebratory election night supporters, but also with a cadre of skilled campaigners, strategists, media, supporting politicians and field organizers young and old, who knew how to win an election and did.

-- M.Klonsky photo
In the end, despite the usual last-minute polling place shenanigans,  it wasn't even close. Toni Berriosconceded early, a little after 9 p.m. In an election that was watched closely statewide and even nationally, Guzzardi won in a 22-point rout over the machine's ncumbent, Berriosthe daughter of Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe"Big Daddy"