April 09--The tight race to represent Lincoln Park on the Chicago City Council got a little looser Thursday as election officials continued to count absentee ballots.
Ald. Michele Smith had a 69-vote lead over challenger Caroline Vickrey in the 43rd Ward contest, according to unofficial Chicago Board of Election Commissioners tallies. That's a reversal from Wednesday, when counting had Vickrey with a six-vote lead.
Election officials counted 609 absentee ballots Thursday, and more are still arriving. Final results are not expected for at least 12 more days, when the deadline to count absentee ballots arrives.
In the 10th Ward on the city's Southeast Side, challenger Susan Sadlowski Garza's lead over Ald. John Pope narrowed to 44 votes, down from 89 a day earlier.
In the 31st Ward on the Northwest Side, challenger Milagros "Milly" Santiago's lead over Ald. Ray Suarez narrowed to 90 votes, down from 131.
Meanwhile, a pair of aldermen saw their small leads grow slightly over their runoff challengers Thursday: 21st Ward Ald. Howard Brookins and Ald. Toni Foulkes, who is running in the 16th Ward after her current 15th Ward was redrawn with a Latino majority in the new map.
