Although last week, she picked up the endorsement of the Chicago Sun-Times, 37th Ward incumbent alderman Emma Mitts’s latest term couldn’t sway the Chicago Tribune, which has endorsed the alderman in the past.
Instead, the Tribune went with Tara Stamps, the alderman’s biggest threat and the Chicago Teacher’s Union’s candidate of choice.
Here’s the Tribune’s endorsement explanation:
“37th Ward: Ald. Emma Mitts says she’s not in favor of borrowing to make ends meet, but she shrugged and voted “yes” on a $900 million borrowing plan last year because, she said, “we can’t do anything about the recession.” She’s voted “yes” on a lot of overspending since joining the City Council in 2000, but she doesn’t offer many concrete ideas on how to save city finances. Maybe licensing ride-booking companies, she finally said, when pressed at our debate with her opponent. “You have to be open-minded about everything,” she said. We’ve endorsed Mitts in previous elections, but we’re going with a change here. Tara Stamps has strong opinions on everything — and we disagree with many of them. A Chicago Public Schools teacher, Stamps opposes charter schools and refuses to consider benefit reductions as part of a city pension reform plan. But she’s smart and driven. She’s determined to bring a “name” grocery store to the ward. She would demand the school board renegotiate so-called “toxic swaps,” borrowing deals that could cost CPS $100 million in added interest. She would advocate for peer juries in schools to keep young offenders from entering the criminal justice system for minor crimes. Her passion is a breath of fresh air. Stamps is endorsed.”
