The nasty battle for succession to the 43rd Ward aldermanic post was temporarily settled Wednesday when Mayor Richard Daley bypassed warring hopefuls and chose a longtime political ally.
In choosing former Cook County Commissioner Charles Bernardini, Daley ignored the succession fight and selected a man who has spent the last two years in Italy.
Bernardini resigned his county seat in early 1992, allowing the mayor to install his younger brother, former State Sen. John Daley, in the job.
Bernardini succeeds Edwin Eisendrath, who resigned from the City Council to become regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Eisendrath had lobbied for former aide Penny Miller. Those close to the mayor wanted him to pick Peg Roth, the ward’s Democratic committeeman and a longtime Daley volunteer with ties to the 19th Ward organization.
Eisendrath compromised Roth by publicly portraying her as a machine politician and angered Daley when he questioned the mayor’s loyalty.
So the mayor chose Bernardini, thereby retaining the loyal vote he wanted, snubbing Eisendrath, and supporting the 43rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization’s second choice.
Bernardini, a lawyer, had been living in Milan as director of the American Chamber of Commerce.
At a City Hall news conference, Bernardini said Daley had asked him to fill out the 16 months of Eisendrath’s unexpired term. He said he had not decided if he would seek election in 1995.
“I have no current plans to do so,” Bernardini said. “I haven’t even thought about it. . . . I haven’t been sworn in yet.”
Daley and Bernardini downplayed the political struggle in the ward, but the mayor bristled when asked about the “age-old tradition” of outgoing aldermen having a say in the selection of their successors.
“There’s a lot of age-old traditions,” Daley snapped. “If you stand by age-old traditions, you never get ahead.”
Eisendrath’s reaction was mild compared with his tirade two weeks ago, when he all but demanded Daley choose Miller to repay him for supporting the mayor on controversial positions such as the extension of the Commonwealth Edision Co. franchise.
“Penny would have been a spectacular alderman, but Chuck’s a very good guy,” Eisendrath said. “It’s his (Daley’s) choice.”
Miller said she was disappointed and questioned Daley’s loyalty. She would not rule out a campaign in 1995.
“To me, it’s sad because Edwin has been such a loyal supporter of the mayor, that he would not go along with Edwin’s recommendation,” Miller said. “Edwin has been so loyal and such a good friend (to Daley). In my world, that’s worth something.”
Roth was pleased with Bernardini’s selection. She wants him to seek election in 1995.
“He’s got a long, rich history in the 43rd Ward,” Roth said. “He has a long history as an independent politician, always a team player, never letting his ego get in the way.”
Roth did reserve animus for Eisendrath, whom she said unfairly attacked her in newspaper gossip columns and portrayed her as a machine creature.
“I think his attacks were bogus, and the mayor knew that. He campaigned in the columns,” she said. “People saw through that.”
Bernardini’s first job with Daley was an assistant when Daley was the Cook County state’s attorney.
