Dec. 25--Mayor Rahm Emanuel's re-election campaign dropped its challenge to the petitions filed by businessman Willie Wilson, clearing the way for Wilson to appear on the city's Feb. 24 mayoral ballot.
"We look forward to his participation in this election as each candidate presents their ideas for moving our city forward for every Chicagoan," Emanuel campaign spokesman Steve Mayberry said in a brief statement announcing the move.
Wilson, who is African-American, and his supporters had accused Emanuel's camp of participating in a "racially motivated strategy" to keep the challenger out of the mayoral contest by contesting Wilson's 47,500 signatures. Wilson maintained the strategy was "tantamount to voter suppression and disenfranchisement."
Wilson's campaign had gone so far as to threaten to subpoena Emanuel as a witness in a Chicago Board of Election Commissioners review of the validity of the petition signatures.
Emanuel had recently defended the move to object to Wilson's petitions, saying it was part of determining the "legitimacy" of the candidacies.
"All of us... have to meet a threshold -- not just for signatures. We also have to meet a threshold with ideas," Emanuel has said.
rap30@aol.com
