Cook County Board President John Stroger plans to send a letter Friday to officials of the Democratic Party announcing his intention to step aside as the nominee for the November election, a family spokesman told party leaders Tuesday.
Stroger, who had a serious stroke in March, will push for the party to nominate his son, Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger (8th), to replace him as the candidate for county president on the ballot, according to three Democratic committeemen who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Todd Stroger indicated publicly six weeks ago that he was interested in replacing his father. That touched off a scramble by Democratic powerbrokers not closely aligned with Stroger to find an alternative candidate.
One African-American committeeman said Tuesday that he believed Todd Stroger had enough votes to be slated in the Nov. 7 election.
However, some prominent white Democratic leaders said they were unaware of the arrangement emerging Tuesday.
One Democratic consultant with strong city ties suggested the move was a power play to head off potential rivals such as County Commissioner Bobbie Steele and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.). Both have expressed an interest in replacing John Stroger.
Sources said Chicago Ald. William Beavers (7th), who emerged earlier this month as Stroger’s spokesman, was calling party leaders Tuesday to inform them of the plan.
Beavers told officials that Stroger would remain County Board president until his term expires in early December.
Another source close to the Stroger family said a final decision on whether John Stroger would remain as president has not been made.
“That’s being discussed,” the source said. “That is not final.”
The source said Beavers and Todd Stroger met with John Stroger on Sunday. They discussed John Stroger’s desire for the party to slate his son as his replacement.
Todd Stroger could not be reached for comment.
John Stroger won nomination to a fourth term in the March 21 Democratic primary despite the stroke, which occurred one week before the election.
State election law dictates that party officials select a replacement for the ballot if a candidate steps aside before the general election.
According to the party sources, the plan called for Beavers to be slated for Stroger’s commissioner seat on the County Board. Historically, the board president has also been one of the 17 commissioners, which is allowed but not required by law.
Beavers, chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee, would continue hold his council seat until the election, shepherding Mayor Richard Daley’s 2007 budget through the approval process, the sources said.
Assuming he was elected to the County Board, Beavers would resign from the council, allowing Daley to name a replacement for the remainder of his aldermanic term.
County commissioners and sources said Tuesday that some board members could balk at an attempt by John Stroger to serve out his term, especially if no new information is presented about his health.
Stroger, 77, has not made any public appearances or statements since he had the stroke March 14.
Stroger’s chief of staff, James Whigham, has said he meets periodically with Stroger and Stroger remains in charge by giving him direction and guidance.
If Stroger quit before his term expired, county commissioners would choose a replacement among themselves to finish the term.
Steele has openly expressed interest in such an appointment, and several commissioners say John Daley, the mayor’s brother, is the favorite for an interim appointment.
The County Board has a proposal pending in committee that would allow Stroger to temporarily transfer his power until he is better. Another proposal would give the board’s president pro tempore authority to make executive decisions.
Commissioners deferred action on those proposals last week, saying theywould honor the Stroger family’s request to have until July to make a decision about the president’s future. The County Board meets July 12.
County Commissioner Mike Quigley said Tuesday that most commissioners assumed that the promised announcement would include John Stroger’s decision to step down from the board before his term expired.
Citing the county’s difficult fiscal circumstances and other time-consuming demands of the job, Quigley said it would be “a horrifically bad idea” for Stroger to attempt to serve out the term.
“By all accounts, this can’t be good for his health,” Quigley said.
County Commissioner Tony Peraica, the Republican nominee for board president in the November election, predicted the board would not stand for Stroger attempting to remain in his position after he steps aside as the party’s nominee.
“I think, based on my conversations, that’s without question,” Peraica said.
At its last meeting, the County Board rejected Peraica’s proposal for a fitness hearing to determine Stroger’s ability to serve. If Stroger attempts to remain in office, Peraica said he would push the proposal again.
“That issue’s going to be revisited,” Peraica said.
Peraica said he would welcome the opportunity to run against Todd Stroger, who kept a low profile as a state representative and alderman until recent months.
“I just can’t wait to engage and debate with him over the county budget, public health care and public safety,” Peraica said.
“He’s going to learn rather quickly that this is not a job for the meek and that you’d better be careful what you wish for.
“It’s not going to be a no-show contest. He’s going to have to get out in the public eye and discuss the issues the public cares about. I’m not going to allow this to be an absentee kind of election.”
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