CHICAGO – As Chicago Republican Charles Love said on his Facebook page this weekend,
There are 14 candidates for Chicago mayor; all Democrats. Here is how I group them.
If you are a Democrat, you have 14 choices.
If you are anti-machine, you have 10 choices.
If you want a black mayor, you have 6 choices.
If you want that black mayor to address issues facing black communities, you have 3 choices.
If you want someone high enough in the polls to win, with the money to finish, you have 5 choices.
If you're not a leftist, you have 4 choices.
Here's what separates them. There's only one candidate that fits each category. Can you guess who?
Last week, two of the most active Republican groups in Chicago announced their picks in the crowded mayoral race as Dr. Willie Wilson.
"The Chicago Young Republicans are announcing a strong recommendation for all Chicago-based Republicans to vote for Dr. Willie Wilson for Chicago Mayor on Tuesday, February 26th, 2019. While there are no true Republican candidates in this Mayoral election, Dr. Wilson has the most values that align with our beliefs of free enterprise, limited taxes, school choice and funds to support our police," the statement said.
In making this recommendation, Chicago Young Republican President Chris Myers said “Dr. Wilson is the best shot we have to inject some conservative principles into the Mayor’s office. He understands that keeping taxes low is the best thing to encourage business and has deep community relationships to work on that many challenges that face our city.”
Dr. Wilson is a self-made business man is who is pro-business, supports a property tax cap and supports school choice for our youth, the group said. To help solve violence in Chicago, Dr. Wilson would welcome a meeting with anyone from Congress or the President to get Federal funding to support our Police Department.
The Northwest Side GOP Club announced it "strongly recommends that Republicans and center-right independents take a hard look at Willie Wilson for Mayor."
Dr. Willie Wilson is a self-made businessman who believes in free-enterprise. He supports school choice to insert more competition into the education system. He promises a property tax cap to protect our home values and stop people from fleeing the city, the GOP group said. And most important of all, he will use all tools available to solve Chicago’s crime epidemic, including working with State officials and the President to secure more funding for law enforcement and neighborhood programs that protect all citizens.
Not voting isn't an option for Chicago Republicans, the Chicago Young Republicans said.
- Data shows that a large portion of declared Republicans, about 40%, didn’t even bother to vote in the Mayoral election in 2015
- There are approximately 97,000 declared Republicans in Chicago and President Trump received over 135,000 votes in Chicago in the 2016 General Election (12.4% of the total)
- Republicans will represent anywhere between 11% and 25% of the vote in this Mayoral Election
"By encouraging all Republicans to vote for the single candidate who aligns most with our values, we can have a huge impact as there are fourteen candidates vying to finish in the top two for a runoff. This is our first chance in a long time to be heard," the group said.
Dr. Wilson will be watching the State of the Union address with the Chicago Young Republicans Tuesday night at McGee's Tavern at 950 West Webster in Chicago.
