Wilson To Rahm: "Every Citizen Should Be Able To Run"
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayoral challenger Willie Wilson is criticizing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's efforts to challenge the nominating petitions he filed to get on the ballot for mayor in the 2015 election.
Self-made millionaire Willie Wilson would not repeat his attorney's contention that the Emanuel campaign's effort to kick the African-American challenger off the ballot is racist.
Wilson said he's lived through racism, and doesn't use such a polarizing word often.
"I couldn't vote when I was living down South. Today I can vote, but the mayor … is trying to take that back now. Every citizen should be able to run," Wilson said.
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Wilson noted Chicago's 12,500-signature requirement to get on the ballot for mayor is far higher than New York and Los Angeles. New York requires 3,750 signatures; Los Angeles requires 500 signatures and a $300 filing fee, or 1,000 signatures without a filing fee.
Emanuel's campaign has acknowledged it supports challenges to the signatures on Wilson's nominating petitions, which contain approximately 47,000 signatures. A surrogate for the Emanuel campaign has challenged Wilson's petitions, claiming most of them are invalid.
Emanuel has denied he's trying to disenfranchise anyone.
"There's no merit to that, and we all have a responsibility. I was challenged. Other people have, and we're doing what's appropriate by the standards for the Board of Elections," he said.
Earlier this week, Wilson's attorney said Emanuel's challenge is racist, and claimed the mayor is afraid of having Wilson on the ballot.
"Right now, Rahm's own polling numbers – and I got this from Rahm's people themselves – show that with Willie Wilson in the race, Rahm Emanuel is in a runoff," Avila said.
In all, nine candidates have filed to run against Emanuel in February, though one – Amara Enyia – already has dropped out. The only candidates who face no objections to their petitions are Ald. Bob Fioretti, Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, and perennial candidate William "Dock" Walls.
Wilson is the guest on this weekend's edition of "At Issue," airing on Newsradio 780 on Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
