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Judge Rules Rahm Emanuel Eligible To Run For Chicago Mayor

Tracy Bloom |
January 4, 2011 | 3:29 p.m. PST

Executive Producer

Rahm Emanuel (Creative Commons)
Rahm Emanuel (Creative Commons)
A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday that former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who is currently running to become the next mayor of Chicago, is eligible to appear on the ballot.

Emanuel had spent the previous two years in Washington, D.C. and objectors argued that he should not be eligible because he did not meet the requirement of being a Chicago resident one year prior to the election.

But Judge Mark J. Ballard upheld the city election's board decision that Emanuel met the residency requirement. In the ruling, Judge Ballard wrote that Emanuel “intended to remain a Chicago resident during his temporary absence, and did not, therefore, abandon his Chicago residency.” 

Rahm Emanuel responded to the ruling in a written statement. “The Board of Elections and the court have both now concluded what I have said all along – that the only reason I left town was to serve President Obama and that I always intended to return," he wrote. "Now that these decisions have been reached, Chicago voters should have the right to decide the election and to vote for me or against me.”

Emanuel quit his post in the Obama Administration in October to run for mayor.

The election will take place on February 22.

Read more about Tuesday's ruling here.



 

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