Ald. James Gardiner received more than 55% of the votes in his race, leading attorney Megan Mathias to concede. In the 30th Ward, Ruth Cruz garnered over 51% of the vote against Jessica Gutiérrez, though mail-in ballots still need to be tallied.
Ald. Jim Gardiner did not respond to the Sun-Times’ requests for an interview about his runoff campaign. Challenger Megan Mathias said many residents complained to her about Gardiner’s inaccessibility but hesitated to donate to her campaign because they “feared retaliation.”
The Chicago mayoral election is dominating all of the headlines in the city, but there are plenty of other intriguing races that are worth keeping an eye on.
Ald. Jim Gardiner faces five contenders in the Northwest Side ward and a string of scandals. While the first term incumbent has name recognition, it’s not necessarily the kind of recognition a candidate wants among potential voters.