Tuesday Tips: Chicago North Side Judge Campaign Rolls in Dough, Rolls Out Cable Ad; Emanuel Wants to Lease City Land to Catholic Charities for $1 … and More

(Chicago, IL) – Chicago North Side Judge Campaign Rolls in Dough, Rolls Out Video Ad ­– Judge Celia Louise Gamrath, who is hustling by going door-to-door for a seat from the lakefront 8th Judicial Subcircuit on Chicago’s north side once held Chicago’s first openly gay judge, Tom Chiola, is out with a polished video ad posted on YouTube and running on cable. It’s not what you expect from a tiny subcircuit race. It’s good.

Endorsed by both the Chicago Tribune and by the Cook County Democratic Party, Gamrath has raked in $173,778.38, including $85,000 from her own purse. Libertyville resident Judy Guzaldo, a sales associate at Macy’s, kicked in $5,000. Ditto attorney Donald Schiller of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck. Gamrath faces three opponents, including fellow judge, James Shapiro. Gamrath is favored to snag the seat.

Fritchey Takes the Plunge – The crisp 28 degrees failed to dissuade from Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey (D-Chicago) from his commitment to the charity Polar Plunge in Lake Michigan on Sunday, March 4. Fritchey posted on his Facebook page, “This is not going to do down as one of my brighter ideas.” Fritchey raised $1,100.

Emanuel Wants to Lease City Land to Catholic Charities of Chicago for $1 – Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing a plan to lease 7,477 square feet of vacant city land at 1427 South Keeler, which is in 24^th Ward Ald. Michael Chandler’s ward, to Catholic Charities of Chicago for a buck. Catholic Charities wants to build a playground.

The City Council Committee on Housing & Real Estate, chaired by Ald. Ray Suarez (D-31), is slated to vote this morning at 10:00 a.m. on Emanuel’s deal which runs through December 31, 2016. The committee is expected to give the plan its blessing.

From the Front …Illinois State House Democratic candidate Alex Arroyo, who’s in a tough four-candidate primary for the new 84th House district seat in Aurora, is pounding the payment and voters’ doors. He reports on Facebook a recent voter contact, “My favorite line today, ‘I never expected to meet you, but I was going to vote for you anyways.’”

At the end of December 2011, Arroyo, who campaigned as a Hillary Clinton delegate in 2008 and who is backed by State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora), had $3,228.25 in his campaign fund. In the last few days he’s brought in $3,000, including $2,000 from the human rights group Equality Illinois. Keep knocking on those doors, Alex.

Chicago’s 43^rd Ward Democrats Buck Cook County Democratic Party ­–  No surprise here. The prickly independent 43^rd Ward Dems snubbed ex-Mayor Richard Daley’s nephew Patrick Daley Thompson in his bid for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. They endorsed only County party candidates Commissioner Debra Shore and newcomer Kari Steele for the water sludge jobs. While they were in a snubbing mood, they also refused to endorse incumbent State Senator Annazette Collins (D-Chicago), going instead with her opponent and ex-mayoral candidate Patricia Van Pelt Watkins for the 5^th senate district seat.

Don’t Quote Me – Gossip that’s not quite fit to print, but what the heck, we’re including it anyway because we’re sure you’ll find it as titillating as we do… Early Budget? – Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno’s sponsorship of the bi-partisan senate revenue resolution for next year’s Illinois budget which matches the House’s $33.719 billion number and all the budget staff shuttling among the four legislative caucuses has sparked the rumour of an early budget agreement and even a possible early adjournment– with or without Governor Pat Quinn’s cooperation.

But all this bi-partisan legislative cooperation may be coming at a price. The GOP is demanding pounds of budget flesh during budget talks in exchange for their votes. The Democrats may end up as window dressing for a budget stuffed with Republican priorities. Read cuts. We pass this along as a public service.

What’s the Point? … Chicago’s 2nd Ward Republicans have a fight for the GOP Ward Committeeman’s job. Businesswoman Mirlinda Feierstein is squaring off against Chicago Young Republican Marty Phelan. In 2008, 2^nd Ward Republicans cast 1,224 votes in the GOP primary; Democrats, 15,993.

What’s a Work Day? … For Gov. Quinn, he announces today, Tuesday, a new alternative energy agreement at the American Wind Energy Associations “summit” being held at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago; 9:30 a.m. … For Mayor Emanuel, after the G8 summit crash-and-burn, he is laying low today. He as no public events.

Send press releases or comments to David Ormsby at [email protected].