In the Northwest Side 1st Ward, progressive first-term incumbent Ald. Daniel La Spata was fending off challenges was close garnering more than half the vote to avoid a runoff in the seat that represents parts of Wicker Park, the Ukrainian Village, West Town and Logan Square.
La Spata faced a stiff challenge from a slate of well-financed and well-known rivals, including attorney Sam Royko, the son of the late Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko, who was pulling second.
Former Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno was attempting a political comeback following a series of scandals but was trailing behind La Spata, Royko and community organizer Stephen “Andy” Schneider.
La Spata and his supporters celebrated Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s concession when it was broadcast, with the alderman laughing and belting out a large “yahoo” at the news. He told the Tribune he didn’t want to say more than that, citing that he will need to work with the mayor in her last month as tenure as mayor. La Spata and his supporters did celebrate when they were made aware Brandon Johnson would be in the runoff election, and he told the Tribune that he will be in support of his campaign in the run off.
“My opponents took a lot of ugliness, the worst there is in politics in their campaigns,” La Spata said, citing incidents where a beer was thrown at him during a campaign cycling event and a window of his campaign office smashed. He said wants to believe that his opponents are capable of decency in the run off election. “I’m gonna need to see them prove that,” he said.
La Spata addressed his supporters when he was 106 votes short of the 50% vote minimum to avoid a runoff.
“Whether we find those 106 more votes in the next 24 hours, or the next six weeks, we’re going to find those votes together, and then I’m going to continue serving and being your alderman in the 1st Ward,” La Spata said.
