Rahm Emanuel encouraged Democratic candidates in 2006 to show toughness on immigration, and that he called immigration the "third rail" of American politics.
There are two Latino candidates,Puerto Rico-born city clerk Miguel del Valle and Mexician-American Gery Chico.Chico has 23% of the vote and Emanuel 49% with Miguel del Valle at 8% and Carol Moseley Braun at 6%.The election is on 22 Feb and a runoff on 5 April if no candidate gets 50%(the Harold Washington, Chicago's first and only African American mayor).
Chico defended remarks by Jim Sweeney, president of Operating Engineers Local 150, who this week called Emanuel a "Wall Street Judas" for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement while working in the Clinton White House.
"His point was that Rahm Emanuel is a traitor to the working men and women of this city through his actions," said Chico, who took the stage at the union rally after Sweeney's remarks. "And he stands behind that statement and I do too."
Carol Braun, "the election is not over despite Emanuel's lead. "The people of Egypt demanded democracy and got it. We should do no less in the city of Chicago," she said.
Early voting in the election for mayor of Chicago is over, and the Chicago Elections Board says an unofficial total of 73,251 Chicagoan cast early ballots.