The Equality Illinois Political Action Committee (Equality Illinois PAC) has endorsed the re-election of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the Feb. 24 municipal election, according to a Feb. 16 press release. The Equality Illinois PAC also endorses the re-election of four incumbent LGBT aldermen in Chicago and Springfield.
"Equality Illinois PAC endorses the re-election of incumbents who are strong advocates of the issues and policies important to LGBT Illinoisans and their allies," said Nicole Bashor, Chair of Equality Illinois PAC. "Mayor Emanuel stood with us not only in the significant effort to achieve marriage equality but on other policies and initiatives that support LGBT Chicagoans."
Equality Illinois PAC also made endorsements of four openly LGBT aldermanic incumbents: Chicago aldermen Deb Mell (33rd Ward), Tom Tunney (44th Ward), and James Cappleman (46th Ward) and Springfield Alderman Cory Jobe (6th Ward).
Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov told Windy City Times Feb. 13 that the organization normally releases only a limited number of endorsements during citywide elections.
"We're able to talk to many aldermanic candidates, but to vet all the candidates running for aldermanic offices is something we're not able to do. Also, as a state policy organization, a lot of the issues we focus on have to do with statewide legislation and statewide policy, issues which municipal officials do not work on."
The Civil Rights Agenda, the state's other LGBT-focused civil rights organization, told Windy City Times it would not be issuing endorsements in the 2015 elections.
Cherkasov said that while the organization watches and considers races that are ostensibly important for the LGBT community, other candidates seeking an endorsement must usually approach them first. He noted, "In having that approach, we are in line with most major political action committees."
According to Cherkasov, Equality Illinois PAC's main part in the municipal election is helping those interested candidates develop more robust LGBT policy campaign platforms. "That's the bigger part of our role in municipal elections. The endorsements are much more limited. They're in races where we think our community could look to us for endorsements, and where we think those endorsements make a difference."