It sure did not take long for names to pop up as successor to Rahm Emanuel. According to the Politico is mentioned as possibly running for the seat.
One potential name stands out: Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, a well-known, reform-minded Chicagoland politician who has been a longtime ally of Emanuel’s. He is a former consulting partner with Obama’s political adviser, David Axelrod, and is close with Obama as well.
Claypool’s name has also been mentioned as a possible appointee to fill Obama’s soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat but he has publicly ruled out that possibility.
I do not know much about him, so I went to Wikipedia and read this about him.
Capitalizing on his record as a reformer, Claypool made a run for the Cook County Board in 2002. Waging a fierce campaign in which he attacked what he saw as patronage and a bloated bureaucracy in the county government, Claypool went on to upset incumbent Commissioner Ted Lechowicz 51-49% in the March 19 Democratic primary. (Lechowicz was a strong supporter of Cook County Board President John Stroger, Jr.) Because Claypool’s district (the 12th) is overwhelmingly Democratic, he faced only nominal opposition in the general election.
Claypool quickly allied hiself with fellow freshmen Commissioners Larry Suffredin (D) and Tony Peraica (R). The three were joined by sophomore Commissioner Mike Quigley (D). When, in December 2003, the four reformers garnered enough swing votes to defeat Stroger’s FY 2004 budget (the first time such a thing had happened to a Cook County Board President in three decades), Stroger gave Claypool a backhanded compliment, saying, “The media has prevailed, along with Mr. Claypool.” This quote ran under the banner headline, “Hell Freezes Over: Cook County Board rejects Stroger’s budget” in the Chicago Sun-Times. The following year (FY 2005), the County Board rejected Stroger’s plan tax increases again. The Chicago Tribune has credited Claypool and his allies for “bringing democracy” to and starting a “revolution” on the Board.
Anyone know anything about him?
http://www.forrestclaypool.com/
It sounds like the name of a Magic: the Gathering card, I first thought.
That would be fantastic news. He’s well connected enough to have a chance but is also a progressive. If he lives in the district he’d be a fantastic choice!