2003 Chicago mayoral election
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| Turnout | 32.26%[1][2]  9.64 pp | ||||||||||||||||
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 Results by ward: Daley: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Illinois |
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The Chicago mayoral election of 2003 saw incumbent Mayor Richard M. Daley easily reelected against small and divided opposition, resulting in his best electoral showing of his career, winning by a landslide 64 point margin.
Candidates
[edit]Incumbent mayor Richard M. Daley ran without significant challengers on the ballot. His challengers could have potentially been denied ballot access had Daley challenged them for collecting an insufficient number of valid signatures in their petitions (mayoral candidates were required by law to collect 25,000 in order to garner ballot access, and only Jakes came near that amount). In such an instance, Daley would have been unopposed on the ballot. However Daley did not challenge his opponents' ballot access.[3]
On ballot
[edit]- Richard M. Daley, incumbent mayor[3]
- Paul Jakes Jr., minister[3]
- Joseph McAfee, minister[3]
- Patricia McAllister, businesswoman[3][4]
Withdrew after qualifying for ballot
[edit]Withdrew without submitting ballot petition
[edit]- James Meeks, state senator[6]
Campaign
[edit]On December 9, 2002, a spokesperson for Daley confirmed that Daley would be announcing his candidacy for re-election.[7] Daley's candidacy was widely anticipated.[7] A popular incumbent, Daley had won strong victories in the preceding four consecutive mayoral elections.[7] He was anticipated to become the city's second-longest tenured mayor (after only his own father, Richard J. Daley –who served more than 22 years) when he surpassed Edward Joseph Kelly at the end of the term he was already elected to.[8]
All three of Daley's opponents were African Americans.[9][4][10][11] Both Jakes,[10] and McAfee[11] were clergy. McAllister was a businesswoman.[4] A fourth African-American candidate, Robert Floid Plump (who the Chicago Tribune reported to be a "self-described South Side minister and musician"), withdrew in mid-January citing concern about splitting the African-American vote.[5] Also briefly challenging Daley, but withdrawing from the race before ballot petitions were to be submitted, had been James Meeks (also African-American).[6]
All of Daley's opponents on the ballot had little electoral experience.[9] They struggled in fundraising (each only raising several thousand dollars)[12] and failed to receive backing from black leaders.[9] They also lacked name recognition.[9][7] Their prospects of unseating Daley were seen as dim.[4]
While the election was nonpartisan, all candidates running were Democrats.[13]
As was the case in all of his reelection campaigns, Daley did not attend any debates.[14]The last debate he had engaged in was during the 1989 Democratic mayoral primary.[3]
Days before the election, Daley's mother (former first lady of Chicago Eleanor "Sis" Daley) died, and the city saw fatal tragedy with the E2 nightclub stampede.[12]
Endorsements
[edit]![[icon]](/https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2018) |
Results
[edit]The election saw what was, up to that point, the lowest turnout in Chicago mayoral election history.[9] Daley won a majority of the vote in each of the city's 50 wards.[1]
Daley received his highest-ever vote share, surpassing the 71.91% he had received in the previous election. His 78.46% was the third-highest vote share in Chicago mayoral history, behind only Jane Byrne's 1979 share of 82.05% and James H. Woodworth's 1849 share of 80.02%. He surpassed his own father's best result of 77.67% in 1975.
By winning his fifth mayoral election, Daley tied Carter Harrison Sr. and Carter Harrison Jr. for the second-most mayoral election victories in Chicago history. Daley would subsequently win an additional mayoral election in 2007, thereby surpassing both Harrisons and tying his own father's record for the most mayoral election victories.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Richard M. Daley (incumbent) | 363,553 | 78.46 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul L. Jakes Jr. | 64,941 | 14.02 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia McAllister | 27,350 | 5.90 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph McAfee | 7,488 | 1.62 | |
| Write-in | Johnnie H. Barnes | 2 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in | Joel W. Britton | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Turnout | 463,335 | |||
Results by ward
[edit]| Ward[1] | Daley | Jakes | McAfee | McAllister | Total | Turnout % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| 1 | 5,892 | 84.49% | 501 | 7.18% | 119 | 1.71% | 462 | 6.62% | 6,974 | 26.93% |
| 2 | 5,632 | 70.05% | 1,745 | 21.70% | 125 | 1.55% | 538 | 6.69% | 8,040 | 28.78% |
| 3 | 4,930 | 61.97% | 2,163 | 27.19% | 183 | 2.30% | 680 | 8.55% | 7,956 | 32.67% |
| 4 | 6,153 | 62.21% | 2,688 | 27.18% | 194 | 1.96% | 856 | 8.65% | 9,891 | 35.54% |
| 5 | 5,693 | 62.54% | 2,445 | 26.86% | 198 | 2.18% | 767 | 8.43% | 9,103 | 31.79% |
| 6 | 7,457 | 58.08% | 4,008 | 31.21% | 294 | 2.29% | 1,081 | 8.42% | 12,840 | 34.70% |
| 7 | 5,610 | 61.39% | 2,547 | 27.87% | 234 | 2.56% | 748 | 8.18% | 9,139 | 28.26% |
| 8 | 8,484 | 61.34% | 3,816 | 27.59% | 390 | 2.82% | 1,142 | 8.26% | 13,832 | 35.80% |
| 9 | 6,012 | 61.13% | 2,781 | 28.28% | 221 | 2.25% | 820 | 8.34% | 9,834 | 27.94% |
| 10 | 6,867 | 89.86% | 412 | 5.39% | 92 | 1.20% | 271 | 3.55% | 7,642 | 28.43% |
| 11 | 12,129 | 95.90% | 207 | 1.64% | 79 | 0.62% | 233 | 1.84% | 12,648 | 57.78% |
| 12 | 4,405 | 92.85% | 123 | 2.59% | 49 | 1.03% | 167 | 3.52% | 4,744 | 39.60% |
| 13 | 12,168 | 94.26% | 291 | 2.25% | 105 | 0.81% | 345 | 2.67% | 12,909 | 54.22% |
| 14 | 5,455 | 95.22% | 101 | 1.76% | 37 | 0.65% | 136 | 2.37% | 5,729 | 44.55% |
| 15 | 4,125 | 66.23% | 1,492 | 23.96% | 101 | 1.62% | 510 | 8.19% | 6,228 | 23.81% |
| 16 | 3,868 | 66.10% | 1,371 | 23.43% | 130 | 2.22% | 483 | 8.25% | 5,852 | 24.64% |
| 17 | 5,847 | 62.39% | 2,573 | 27.45% | 192 | 2.05% | 760 | 8.11% | 9,372 | 28.14% |
| 18 | 10,018 | 72.75% | 2,717 | 19.73% | 179 | 1.30% | 857 | 6.22% | 13,771 | 39.95% |
| 19 | 16,882 | 83.86% | 1,704 | 8.46% | 383 | 1.90% | 1,161 | 5.77% | 20,130 | 56.35% |
| 20 | 4,290 | 62.23% | 1,855 | 26.91% | 180 | 2.61% | 569 | 8.25% | 6,894 | 28.90% |
| 21 | 8,391 | 59.35% | 4,371 | 30.92% | 270 | 1.91% | 1,105 | 7.82% | 14,137 | 33.56% |
| 22 | 3,043 | 84.69% | 281 | 7.82% | 47 | 1.31% | 222 | 6.18% | 3,593 | 24.24% |
| 23 | 13,925 | 91.52% | 526 | 3.46% | 190 | 1.25% | 575 | 3.78% | 15,216 | 51.65% |
| 24 | 5,151 | 59.04% | 2,695 | 30.89% | 173 | 1.98% | 705 | 8.08% | 8,724 | 26.97% |
| 25 | 6,353 | 86.51% | 472 | 6.43% | 110 | 1.50% | 409 | 5.57% | 7,344 | 39.12% |
| 26 | 4,959 | 83.51% | 499 | 8.40% | 100 | 1.68% | 380 | 6.40% | 5,938 | 27.03% |
| 27 | 5,307 | 71.06% | 1,548 | 20.73% | 118 | 1.58% | 495 | 6.63% | 7,468 | 26.03% |
| 28 | 4,380 | 60.57% | 2,156 | 29.82% | 131 | 1.81% | 564 | 7.80% | 7,231 | 23.21% |
| 29 | 7,735 | 71.67% | 2,286 | 21.18% | 119 | 1.10% | 652 | 6.04% | 10,792 | 37.73% |
| 30 | 5,450 | 90.94% | 231 | 3.85% | 65 | 1.08% | 247 | 4.12% | 5,993 | 31.59% |
| 31 | 4,885 | 91.84% | 166 | 3.12% | 57 | 1.07% | 211 | 3.97% | 5,319 | 27.18% |
| 32 | 6,709 | 88.68% | 399 | 5.27% | 105 | 1.39% | 352 | 4.65% | 7,565 | 23.25% |
| 33 | 6,218 | 91.47% | 253 | 3.72% | 68 | 1.00% | 259 | 3.81% | 6,798 | 41.07% |
| 34 | 7,472 | 61.44% | 3,498 | 28.76% | 267 | 2.20% | 924 | 7.60% | 12,161 | 30.51% |
| 35 | 6,723 | 83.01% | 647 | 7.99% | 149 | 1.84% | 580 | 7.16% | 8,099 | 36.45% |
| 36 | 9,860 | 91.02% | 439 | 4.05% | 135 | 1.25% | 399 | 3.68% | 10,833 | 37.39% |
| 37 | 4,841 | 63.81% | 2,045 | 26.96% | 121 | 1.60% | 579 | 7.63% | 7,586 | 25.42% |
| 38 | 8,656 | 91.56% | 321 | 3.40% | 132 | 1.40% | 345 | 3.65% | 9,454 | 35.07% |
| 39 | 7,229 | 91.83% | 268 | 3.40% | 91 | 1.16% | 284 | 3.61% | 7,872 | 33.59% |
| 40 | 5,831 | 89.28% | 338 | 5.18% | 64 | 0.98% | 298 | 4.56% | 6,531 | 30.82% |
| 41 | 12,766 | 87.55% | 688 | 4.72% | 293 | 2.01% | 835 | 5.73% | 14,582 | 40.50% |
| 42 | 9,281 | 90.01% | 499 | 4.84% | 119 | 1.15% | 412 | 4.00% | 10,311 | 30.60% |
| 43 | 6,062 | 89.85% | 363 | 5.38% | 84 | 1.24% | 238 | 3.53% | 6,747 | 19.97% |
| 44 | 8,939 | 89.26% | 457 | 4.56% | 136 | 1.36% | 483 | 4.82% | 10,015 | 30.47% |
| 45 | 12,026 | 90.35% | 474 | 3.56% | 207 | 1.56% | 604 | 4.54% | 13,311 | 44.54% |
| 46 | 8,804 | 83.57% | 938 | 8.90% | 167 | 1.59% | 626 | 5.94% | 10,535 | 38.26% |
| 47 | 10,706 | 86.46% | 757 | 6.11% | 173 | 1.40% | 746 | 6.02% | 12,382 | 40.22% |
| 48 | 7,434 | 85.76% | 697 | 8.04% | 103 | 1.19% | 434 | 5.01% | 8,668 | 32.81% |
| 49 | 5,275 | 78.40% | 797 | 11.85% | 126 | 1.87% | 530 | 7.88% | 6,728 | 33.72% |
| 50 | 7,061 | 91.89% | 280 | 3.64% | 79 | 1.03% | 264 | 3.44% | 7,684 | 35.41% |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "2003 Municipal General - 2/25/03".
- ^ a b "TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE RETURNS AND PROCLAMATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE CANVASS OF THE ELECTION RETURNS FOR THE MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION HELD IN EACH OF THE PRECINCTS IN ALL THE WARDS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2003 A.D." (PDF). Chicago Board of Elections. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Illusion of an Election". Chicago Tribune. January 6, 2003.
- ^ a b c d Daley Reign Continues In Chicago by Jarrett Murphy (Associated Press) February 26, 2003
- ^ a b "Candidate Leaves Mayor's Race". Chicago Tribune. January 15, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Felton, Robert (January 10, 2007). "Dorothy Brown Reacts to Criticism from Meeks". Austin Weekly News. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Chicago's Mayor Plans to Seek Re-election". The New York Times. The Associated Press. December 9, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ Kreiter, Marcella S. (February 23, 2003). "Daley Heads For Easy Victory". UPI. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Daley: A Retrospective: A Historical Exploration of Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley by Chicago Tribune Staff Dec 18, 2012
- ^ a b Jakes, a true believer, stands alone - Chicago Tribune
- ^ a b Rev. Moon and the black clergy - Chicago Tribune
- ^ a b Dizon, Nicole Ziegler (February 24, 2003). "Chicago Mayor Seeks 5th Term Amid Tragedy". Midland Daily News. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ Morris, Joseph A. (February 23, 2003). "Mayoral Election". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Rudin, Kevin (February 21, 2007). "Chicago's Long-Running Daley Show". NPR. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
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