What a Karen Lewis Campaign for Mayor Meant to Chicago

Author: 
Gapers Block

For the past several months, Chicago has been electrified by the prospect of a clash between two of the strongest personalities in city politics: the brash, business-first mayor Rahm Emanuel, and the outspoken, social justice-oriented union president Karen Lewis. For spectators in the media, and in the city's neighborhoods, the clash between these two contenders, both bold in presentation and opposing in ideology, promised to be the electoral matchup of a generation.

But Monday's announcement by Lewis's team showed that this contest is not to be. Lewis, who has flirted with a formal announcement and has been recently beset by serious health concerns, declared what many of late had feared: that the fiery labor leader won't be throwing her red CTU cap into the race.

...No matter who you talk to, the prospect of Karen Lewis running for mayor elicited strong reactions. For some, Lewis' confrontational persona is off-putting. For others she represents the reinvigoration of the labor movement and is the face of resistance to privatization policies, mayoral control, and the attack on working families in Chicago.

http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2014/10/15/what-a-karen-lewis-campaign-for-mayor-meant-to-chicago/

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