By David W. Burns
March 7, 2011

The former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on February 22. Emanuel won with 55.18 percent of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff in April.

In the race, he defeated five other candidates, including former City College of Chicago Board President Gery Chico, U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun, and City Clerk Miguel del Valle.

During the campaign, Emanuel’s Chicago residency was challenged, since he had been with the White House in Washington since 2009. The Chicago Board of Elections, after three days of hearings on his residency, ruled in favor of Emanuel. The Court of Appeals weeks later reversed the Board of Elections decision, a ruliing that was quickly overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Prior to his most recent job as Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, Emanuel was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2002 serving Illinois’ fifth congressional district. He also served as a Senior Advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998.

The office of mayor opened up last September when former Conference of Mayors President and current Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced he would not seek reelection. Daley has served that office for 22 years.

Emanuel will be sworn into office on May 16.