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Rahm Emanuel reelected Chicago mayor

by David McCabe 04/07/15 09:20 PM ET

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) was reelected Tuesday, CBS Chicago projected, beating back a challenge from Cook County Commissioner Jesús “Chuy” García (D).

With 89 percent of the precincts in the city reporting, Emanuel was hovering around 56 percent of the vote to García’s 44 percent.

The race was pushed to a runoff in February when Emanuel, a former chief of staff to President Obama, failed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote.

“Thank you, Chicago,” Emanuel said Tuesday night, according to the Chicago Tribune. “To the Second City that voted for a second term, and a second chance.”

{mosads}As the runoff approached, Emanuel portrayed himself as a seasoned leader who can handle the financial and social challenges facing Chicago. Among other arguments, his campaign said that García had no plan to handle the city’s precarious finances.

García ran as a populist and said Emanuel’s policies were detrimental to poor and minority Chicagoans — particularly on education and crime.

He drew on resentment among city residents with Emanuel’s handling of schools. The mayor has closed many and was in office during a teachers strike in 2012.

The mayor outspent García, who was supported by national progressive groups and some unions. Emanuel also brought in endorsements from major figures, including Obama.

Jim Dean, chairman of Democracy for America, a liberal group that campaigned for García, was defiant in defeat.

He said in a statement that the close race “only strengthened, unified and trained an army of grassroots activists who stand ready to hold the Mayor accountable at every turn.”

“Make no mistake: Tonight’s results aren’t a setback for the broad-based progressive movement looking to bring Elizabeth Warren-style, populist progressive reform to Chicago, it’s just the beginning,” he said.

—Last updated at 10:28 p.m.