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Former Alderman Fioretti Challenging State Senator Van Pelt In Democratic Primary

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Next month's Democratic primary will see state Sen. Patricia Van Pelt facing a high-profile challenge from former Alderman Bob Fioretti.

Fioretti, an attorney with the law firm Orum & Roth, was a frequent critic of former Mayor Richard M. Daley and current Mayor Rahm Emanuel before a failed challenge to Emanuel last year. Now he's labeling Van Pelt as ineffective, and suggesting she's anti-labor.

"She let it slip during one of the editorial reviews that she was for right-to-work for municipalities. She quickly, within the day, retracted that statement after we made it public, but she bills herself as a conservative on some of her literature that she's circulating out there now," he said.

Fioretti also said voters should be suspicious that a group supporting Van Pelt is anti-union.

"She is getting a lot of help from a pro-, or a Rauner-aligned group, IllinoisGo. They've now sent out two pieces on her behalf, and that type of indication is that she's either been already picked off, or she soon will be picked off," he said.

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Van Pelt, who ran against Emanuel in 2011, scoffed at Fioretti's claims, pointing to her support for legislation that would have required binding arbitration to settle labor talks if the governor and union workers reach an impasse in contract negotiations.

"I'm the co-sponsor, the chief co-sponsor, on the AFSCME arbitration bill, so that right there says that I'm definitely not anti-union; and I was a union steward for years. All my votes line up with the unions," Van Pelt said.

As for the support of IllinoisGo, Van Pelt said, "I don't know them. I never met them. They never asked me for a survey. If I saw the person that runs it right here in the room, I wouldn't recognize him. But anybody who is saying I'm doing a good job, and I know that I'm also serving my district 100 percent, I'm all for it."

Speaking at an event criticizing Rauner, Van Pelt also accused Fioretti of having a dismal record during his two terms as alderman of Chicago's 2nd Ward.

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