Other Blacks still plan to run as Cong. Davis is chosen as consensus candidate

by La Risa Lynch

And then there was one.

A coalition of Black political, community and religious leaders picked Cong. Danny K. Davis to be the consensus Black candidate for mayor in the 2011 municipal election.

Davis was among a list of four finalists that included state Senator James Meeks, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers. But a more recent list only included Braun and Rogers as finalists.

Robert Starks, a member of the Chicago Coalition for Mayor, sat in the final meeting that selected Davis. He contends coalition members were impressed with Davis’ “command of the issues and his understanding of the plight of Black Chicago.” But, he added, it took a while for coalition members to be on the same page.

“Differences had to be solved before you can come to a decision. But it is, in my opinion, a good decision,” said Starks, a columnist and professor of political science Northeastern Illinois University. “I think, [Davis] would be … the best candidate.”

Davis expressed gratitude for the coalition’s confidence in his bid for mayor.

“I am obviously pleased that they are willing to invest their political capital in me,” he said.

Davis’ first order of business is to organize his campaign and shape his platforms. Davis plans to focus on the budget, education, violence, shoring up the city’s police force and health care.

“Those would be the top four or five priorities that one must deal with,” he said.

Davis has no plans to give up his congressional seat while he runs for mayor. He said many people campaign for office while holding their current office or respective private sector job.

“People do it all the time,” Davis said. “If you want to become a principal of a school, do you quit being a teacher?”

When asked if this was the right time to run for mayor after the “shellacking” Obama received in the mid-term elections, Davis said the time was right. Obama lost control of the House, but Davis does not fear his seat going Republican. He won re-election with 82 percent of the vote.

“[Obama] will have all the help that he can get and need, and I expect to be a part of that help whether I’m in Chicago or in Washington,” Davis said.

Even though he is the consensus candidate, Davis is not the sole Black vying for the city’s top job. Braun opened a campaign office in Bronzeville last week. Meeks handed off the reigns of his mega-church, Salem Baptist, to be fully invested in his bid for mayor. Nominating petitions to be on the February 22 ballot is due November 22.

When asked about having a consensus candidate with other Blacks running, Starks said: “You can’t stop people from running.” But having one candidate is necessary “because we can’t win if there is three or four or five Blacks running,” he said.

He believes rallying support around Davis will show “that the other efforts are needless.” That support, Starks said, also means raising upward $7 million to be competitive against the presumptive mayoral candidate, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel’s war chest.

“What you do is out work them,” Starks said of the other Black mayoral hopefuls. “When they see they don’t have the support that your candidate has, they will eventually drop off.”

Starks believes Davis’ leadership in his district is an advantage. Davis represents the Seventh Congressional District, which stretches from the liberal lakefront to the western suburbs and includes downtown Chicago.

“He covers the Hispanics, whites, Blacks, poor, working class people as well as rich people in his district,” Starks said. “His district covers all the people that you want to tap for support.”

Phillip Beverly, associate professor of political science at Chicago State University, applauded Davis years of public service as an alderman, Cook County Board commissioner and congressman. But Beverly noted that may not be enough to win. He said Davis never held an executive position, which is the crux of this race.

“I wish no ill-will on the man, but he is toward the end of his career politically,” Beverly said. “Is that the first mayor you want for the 21^st century after 22 years of Daley — somebody that is 69 years old. I think people would be much more critical of that.”

Beverly doesn’t rule Davis out as a contender. He believes all the Black candidates will have difficulties raising money since all will be going after the same pot of money within the Black community.

However, Davis can force Emanuel to debate — something Daley shied away from. A debate will pinpoint Emanuel plans for the city.

“There is some fear in the city that an Emanuel mayoral-ship [would be] all about satisfying corporate needs and the Loop,” Beverly explained. “And that the communities, neighborhoods are going to get short shrifted.”