RAHM EMANUEL TOPS CHUY GARCIA FOR CHICAGO MAYOR [View all]

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) — Thrown into a bruising run-off election, Rahm Emanuel scored a hard-fought win for a second term, defeating Jesus “Chuy” Garcia on Tuesday, thus ending a mayoral campaign never before seen in Chicago.

With nearly two thirds of the vote counted, Emanuel held a 56 percent to 44 percent edge over Garcia. CBS 2 exit polling data projected the final margin to be 54 percent to 46 percent.

Emanuel, politically damaged by his decision to close more than 50 Chicago Public Schools and fighting the perception that he was out of touch with voters and only focused on pleasing well-healed business connections, failed to win 50 percent of the vote in February’s election.

That result led to the first ever run-off election in Chicago, with the Chicago Teacher’s Union, angered over the school closings, providing much of the momentum to Garcia, especially in the early days following February’s first round.

Read more: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/04/07/rahm-emanuel-tops-chuy-garcia-for-chicago-mayor/