Talk:Alice Palmer (politician)

Missing specific date

I have been unable to find the specific date in January 1997 when she left the Illinois State Senate, although it is usually a day or so before the succession (which was by Barack Obama on Jnaury 8, 1997). If anyone locates this detail, please add it to both the infobox and the succession template. -- Scjessey (talk) 16:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

IMHO, the current article is incorrect regarding losing to Obama in 1996. Per www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/29/obamas.first.campaign/

"In his first race for office, seeking a state Senate seat on Chicago's gritty South Side in 1996, Obama effectively used election rules to eliminate his Democratic competition.

As a community organizer, he had helped register thousands of voters. But when it came time to run for office, he employed Chicago rules to invalidate the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers.

The move denied each of them, including incumbent Alice Palmer, a longtime Chicago activist, a place on the ballot. It cleared the way for Obama to run unopposed on the Democratic ticket in a heavily Democrat district."

I hope someone corrects this, but I suspect Obama supporters don't want it known, considering how the entry for Palmer now reads. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.162.136.252 (talk) 21:02, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Election results

• Fremon, David K. (1988). Chicago politics, ward by ward. Bloomington: Indiana University Press ISBN 0253313449
  Appendix: 1988 Committeeman Elections, pp. 359–364:
  • Democratic Committeeman Results, 7th Ward (Democratic Primary Election, March 15, 1988)

    Alice Palmer -- 5,831 -- 60%
    William Beavers -- 3,972 -- 40%

• State Board of Elections (1992). State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the Primary Election, General Primary, March 17, 1992, p. 117:
  • State Senator, Thirteenth Legislative District

    Alice J. Palmer (Democratic) -- 29,115 -- 82.94%
    Charlie Calvin (Democratic) -- 5,987 -- 17.05%

• State Board of Elections (1992). State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the General Election, November 3, 1992, p. 46:
  • State Senator, Thirteenth Legislative District

    Alice J. Palmer (Democratic) -- 69,989 -- 100.00%

• Scammon, Richard M.; McGillivray, Alice V.; Cook, Rhodes (1998). America votes 22 : a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1996. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly ISBN 0871879182, p. 7:
  • United States, Special Elections to the 104th Congress, Representatives, Illinois 2nd CD

    November 28, 1995 Special Democratic Primary
    Jesse Jackson Jr. -- 30,017 -- 48.2%
    Emil Jones Jr. -- 24,097 -- 38.7%
    Alice Palmer -- 6,343 -- 10.2%
    Monique D. Davis -- 1,519 -- 2.4%
    John F. Morrow -- 252 -- 0.4%
    
    December 12, 1995 Special Election
    Jesse Jackson Jr. (Democratic) -- 48,145 -- 76.0%
    Thomas Joseph "T.J." Somer (Republican) -- 15,171 -- 24.0%

• Scammon, Richard M.; McGillivray, Alice V.; Cook, Rhodes (1998). America votes 22 : a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1996. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly ISBN 0871879182, p. 204:
  • Illinois Democratic Primary March 19, 1996,Congressional District 2

    Jesse Jackson Jr. -- 60,293 -- 100.00%

• State Board of Elections (1996). State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the Primary Election, General Primary, March 19, 1996, p. 109:
  • State Senator, Thirteenth Legislative District

    Barack Obama (Democratic) -- 16,279 -- 100.00%

• State Board of Elections (1996). State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the General Election, November 5, 1996, p. 32:
  • State Senator, Thirteenth Legislative District

    Barack Obama (Democratic) -- 48,592 -- 82.15%
    David Whitehead (Harold Washington Party) -- 7,461 -- 12.61%
    Rosette Caldwell Peyton (Republican) -- 3,091 -- 5.22%

• Austin, Jan (ed.) (1996). Congressional quarterly almanac : 104th Congress, 1st session ... 1995, Volume LI. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly ISBN 1568022662, p. 12-7:
  • House Special Elections, Illinois -- 2nd

    Jackson's election was presaged by his solid plurality victory over three veteran state legislators in the Nov. 28 Democratic special primary. Jackson eclipsed two well-established state senators and two other Democrats, winning 48.2 percent of the vote.
    
    Jackson's closest rival was state Senate Minority Leader Emil Jones Jr., who managed 38.7 percent for second place. He was followed by state Sen. Alice J. Palmer with 10.2 percent.
    
    The top three Democratic candidates, Jackson, Jones and Palmer all topped the $200,000 mark, according to Federal Election Commission figures as of Nov. 8. Jackson, however, had the highest total receipts, $261,239, of all the candidates who filed reports with the FEC.

Newross (talk) 21:08, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

2nd Congressional District campaign and aftermath timeline

This article and Barack Obama and Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama need major revision.

• Neal, Steve (December 28, 1993). Weak field puts Reynolds in front. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 17:

  But Reynolds is headed for probable renomination over weak competition in the March 15 primary. A more formidable potential rival was deterred from making the race because State Sen. William Shaw and Ald. Allan Streeter (17th) were already in the field against Reynolds. Neither Shaw nor Streeter is a credible alternative to Reynolds.
  
  State Sen. Alice J. Palmer (D-Chicago), who studied a possible challenge to Reynolds, could have sent Reynolds into early retirement.
  
  She impressed leaders of organized labor as one of the more articulate critics of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Reynolds, who had been against NAFTA, buckled under pressure from the Clinton and Daley administrations and voted for the controversial trade pact.
  
  Among the reasons Palmer didn't make the race were Shaw and Streeter. Palmer could have possibly won even with Shaw and Streeter in the race.
  
  Without Palmer in the race, Reynolds is sitting pretty.

• Neal, Steve (August 29, 1994). Palmer could be contender in 2nd. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 23:

  A Palmer bid also would be fueled by women's political organizations. Just as the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings brought cash into female political causes, a Palmer candidacy would attract support from women angered by the allegations of sexual misconduct against Reynolds and predecessor Gus Savage.
  
  Palmer was encouraged by black independents to challenge Reynolds for Congress in the March primary. But when two others got into the race, she stayed out.
  
  Palmer is also touted as a '95 mayoral contender. But Palmer is focusing on the 2nd congressional district. If she wins that race, City Hall could be in her future.

• Kuczka, Susan (November 22, 1994). State Sen. Palmer ponders a bid for Reynolds' 2nd district post. Chicago Tribune, p. 2
• Neal, Steve (November 25, 1994). Palmer beats Jackson Jr. to punch. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 49:

  If the younger Jackson joins forces with Palmer, South Side Democratic leaders predicted that Jackson could win Palmer's seat in the Illinois Senate. As a state senator, the younger Jackson could seek higher office in the future and would be an important new voice in Democratic politics. If he runs against Palmer and loses, his promising career could be cut short.

• Neal, Steve (March 29, 1995). Holt, Oliver-Hill neck and neck in South Side aldermanic race. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 33:

  In the 5th Ward, educator Barbara Holt and Democratic Ward Committeeman Janet Oliver-Hill are headed for what could be another photo finish in Tuesday's runoff to replace Ald. Lawrence S. Bloom.
  
  Holt, the former executive director of the Chicago School Finance Authority, finished 163 votes ahead of Oliver-Hill in the Feb. 28 municipal election.
  
  About 70 percent of the ward's population is African American. The winner of Tuesday's runoff will become the first black alderman of the South Side ward that includes Hyde Park, Jackson Park, Grand Crossing and South Shore. The University of Chicago is a dominant force in the ward. The late Mayor Harold Washington was a resident of the 5th Ward and was Bloom's close political ally.
  
  Holt, who is the more independent of the two candidates, is supported by Bloom and former Ald. Leon Despres. Former rival Julian S. Bertrand, who received 15.38 percent of the vote on Feb. 28, has thrown his support to Holt.
  
  Oliver-Hill has the backing of Cook County Board President John H. Stroger Jr., U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush, State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie and former 5th Ward Democratic committeeman Alan Mora Dobry.
  
  Holt, a resident of Hyde Park, got 82 percent of her Feb. 28 vote in her home base. Oliver-Hill, who lives in South Shore, carried the rest of the ward. Both candidates are appealing to the independent vote by attempting to portray their opponent as too cozy with other politicians.

• Oclander, Jorge (April 2, 1995). Loss of clout dims IVI-IPO's fate. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 22:

  After more than half a century of influence on Illinois politics, IVI-IPO liberals may be headed for a bitter separation.
  
  "Many of us believe we need to create a new organization," said Sam Ackerman, a former state chairman and current state board member of the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization. "Some of us are engaged in such conversations. To many of us it (IVI-IPO) is beyond saving."
  
  In its heyday, the organization claimed a major role in the election of former Gov. Dan Walker in the 1970s and Mayor Harold Washington in 1983. Today its future and its influence are waning.
  
  Or as one critical member suggests, maybe the lakefront liberal is extinct.
  
  The organization is beset with an internal conflict between a "young turk" faction, led by current State Chairman Bob Bartell, and "old guard" leaders who accuse him and his followers of "betraying IVI-IPO's independent ideals."
  
  "We are locked in a struggle for weakness," says former State Chairman Rich Means.
  
  It shows.
  
  When Roland Burris, the independent mayoral candidate, arrived at IVI-IPO headquarters to receive the organization's endorsement last Sunday, he walked into three nearly bare rooms.
  
  None of the IVI-IPO icons were present - not Ackerman, Means or former independent Aldermen Leon Despres or Larry Bloom. They had asked for a leave of absence to support 5th Ward candidate Barbara Holt, who is running for alderman against the IVI-IPO endorsed candidate, Janet Oliver-Hill.
  
  More important, Burris was the only one of the endorsees who even bothered to show up for the announcement.

• Hevrdejs, Judy; Conklin, Mike (June 16, 1995).Changing of guard in schools puts Daley staff at head of class. Chicago Tribune, p. 28:

  Groundbreaker: No one we talked to can remember a Muslim getting elected to the Illinois Senate, but that's the goal of Gha-is F. Askia, who's holding a funder Saturday in the American Islamic College here. Askia works in Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan's office, but will run as a Dem for Alice Palmer's seat in the 13th District.

• Hardy, Thomas (June 28, 1995). Palmer seeks to replace Reynolds; 'Pray for him, vote for me,' legislator says. Chicago Tribune, p. 3:

  Palmer was elected to a full term in 1992 and will be giving up her legislative seat to run for Congress.

• Knapp, Kevin (July 5, 1995). Alice Palmer to run for Reynolds' seat. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  Talk of who might replace Palmer, assuming she wins the race, has already begun. One front-runner might be Palmer-supporter Barack Obama, an attorney with a background in community organization and voter registration efforts. Obama, who has lived "in and out" of Hyde Park for 10 years, is currently serving as chairman of the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Obama said that even though the election would be years away, "I am seriously exploring that campaign."

• Hevrdejs, Judy; Conklin, Mike (July 7, 1995). Something different, Democrats don't add a Senate candidate. Chicago Tribune, p. 20:

  Polpourri: . . . Barack Obama will announce he's running for the state Senate seat occupied by Alice Palmer, who's running for Reynolds' U.S. congressional seat. Obama, who has worked with Palmer, is an attorney at Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland--and newly published author of "Dreams from My Father."

• Hardy, Thomas (August 23, 1995). Candidates line up for Reynolds' spot. Chicago Tribune, p. 23:

  Palmer, 56, announced last month that she will forgo re-election to her legislative seat next year to run for Congress.

• Pearson, Rick; Locin, Mitchell (September 12, 1995). Voting set on successor to Reynolds; Nov. 28 primary OKd; filing to begin Oct. 2 Chicago Tribune, p. 1
• Knapp, Kevin (September 13, 1995). Politicians scramble in wake of Reynolds resignation. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  (article illustrated with two front page photos: one of Alice Palmer, the other of Barack Obama)
  
  The scramble for the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-2nd) promises to be a wild one.
  
  Several local politicians are in a position to run for the important federal seat without risking their holds on their current state offices.
  
  The timing of Reynolds' resignation—last week he announced he would resign from Congress on Oct. 1—is critical because state law requires the governor to call for a special election within 120 days of receiving notice of a vacant congressional seat. Though the dates have not been finalized, according to the state board of elections' Daniel White, a primary for the special election could be held in late November with the general election taking place before the start of the new year.
  
  As of press time, official announcements of candidacy were in from state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13th) and Jesse Jackson, Jr., the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson. The unannounced wildcards include State Rep. Monique Davis (D-27th) and State Sens. Emil Jones (D-37th) and William Shaw (D-15th).
  
  With the early election, representatives such as Davis and Shaw would be in a position to run in the congressional primary and, if unsuccessful, still have plenty of time to file nominating petitions for re-election to their current posts. Their terms expire in Jan. 1997.
  
  Sen. Jones term does not expire until Jan. 1999, but in the unlikely event the senior Democratic legislator in the state senate decides he wants to become a freshman congressman, he could also file for the congressional seat and simply resign from his state post if he were to win.
  
  Palmer, the first and only state government official to file, may have the most to lose. If unsuccessful in the congressional race, any plans she makes to reclaim her senate seat are likely to be unpopular with her progressive constituents. Palmer, who lives on 75th St. in the South Shore neighborhood, is a relative newcomer on the political scene, beginning her career only seven years ago when she was elected 7th Ward committeeman. Palmer was elected to her senate seat four years ago by local ward committeemen when Richard Newhouse suddenly resigned due to illness. She was returned to office by the voters on her own merits in 1992.
  
  Palmer is committed to the congressional race, according to sources close to her campaign, and has no plans to try and recapture her senate seat if her bid is unsuccessful.
  
  The chances of Palmer re-filing for her senate seat are further reduced by the fact that one of her supporters, Barack Obama, is expected to announce his candidacy for her senate post next week.
  
  Obama, 34, an attorney who currently lives in Hyde Park, is a neophyte politician. He worked for Chicago's Project Vote in 1991—a voter registration organization founded to promote registration among low-income and minority voters—but he has never sought a political office.
  
  Obama is a civil rights lawyer at the politically connected law firm of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also teaches a civil rights course at the University of Chicago and is currently serving as chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, the public school funding organization. He warily says he has enlisted the support of several local politicians and political organizations, but is counting on a outpouring of "grass roots folks" to shore up support.
  
  Obama has the support of Palmer and has also received the endorsement of State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25th).
  
  Before attending Harvard University's Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer in New York's Harlem neighborhood and in Chicago's Altgeld housing project. In 1990, Obama became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. In 1991, he turned down a clerkship for the Supreme Court and returned to Chicago to work on an academic book about race relations, the recently published autobiography, "Dreams of My Father."
  
  The 13th Senate district, which includes all of Hyde Park, is a T-shaped area that stretches west from the lakefront to Central Park Ave. and north from 87th St. to 47th St.
  
  The 2nd Congressional District is U-shaped, extending west from the Indiana state line to Calumet township and snaking north as far as 54th St. Hyde Park is located within the neighboring 1st District.

• Fornek, Scott (September 15, 1995). Sen. Jones is joining the pack; Will bid for Reynolds' House seat. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 6:

  News of Jones' decision came as supporters of a rival candidate, state Sen. Alice J. Palmer (D-Chicago), held a City Hall press conference to ask Jones and other candidates to stay out of the race. The group also called for state Rep. Monique D. Davis (D-Chicago) and Jesse Jackson Jr. to drop out of the race.

• Strausberg, Chinta (September 19, 1995). Harvard lawyer eyes Palmer seat. Chicago Defender, p. 3:

  Although the 13th District state senatorial seat has yet to be vacated, civil rights attorney Barack Obama Monday said he's throwing his hat in the race and plans to win.
  
  With the political blessings of incumbent State Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13), who's running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Second Congressional District, Obama is set to officially announce his candidacy 6 p.m. tonight at the Ramada Inn, 4900 S. Lake Shore Drive.

• Mitchell, Monica (October 4, 1995) Hyde Parker announces run for state senate seat. Hyde Park Herald, p. 3:

  Barack Obama, 34, ended months of speculation when he announced his candidacy Sept. 19 for the State Senate's 13th Legislative District.
  
  "Politicians are not held to highest esteem these days. They fall somewhere below lawyers," joked the civil rights attorney to a standing-room only audience of 200 supporters during his campaign kick-off at the Ramada Inn Lakeshore, 4900 S. Lake Shore Drive.
  
  Incumbent State Senator Alice Palmer, who is running for Mel Reynolds' congress seat, was the first to herald him to the podium and her soon-to-be-vacant seat.
  
  "In this room, Harold Washington announced for mayor. It looks different, but the spirit is still in the room," said Palmer to an audience that included 4th and 5th Ward Aldermen Toni Preckwinkle and Barbara Holt, Cook County Clerk David Orr, and many other politicians.
  
  "Barack Obama carries on the tradition of independence in this district, a tradition that continued with me and most recently (State) Senator Newhouse. His candidacy is a passing of the torch, because he's the person that people have embraced and have lifted up as the person they want to represent this district," said Palmer.

• Knapp, Kevin (October 25, 1995). Local senate race heats up. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1.2:

  The race for Hyde Park's state senate seat got two new entries last week: Marc Ewell, 30, the son of former Illinois state representative Raymond Ewell, and Gha-is Askia, 39, an employee in the Illinois Attorney General's office.
  
  Ewell and Askia will join Hyde Park resident Barack Obama, 34, a lawyer who announced his candidacy last month, in circulating petitions to seek the Democratic nomination for the state's 13th senate district which includes Hyde Park.
  
  Ewell, who is currently a real estate inspector, says his political experience includes working on the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun and Cook County Board president John Stroger. His resume says he was a staff assistant for Moseley-Braun for three years before becoming a property inspector for a private real estate firm in 1995.
  
  Marc is the youngest son of former State Representative Raymond Ewell, who represented the area now known as 26th district for 16 years. The elder Ewell left government after an early 1980s redistricting put him in the same district as popular State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie. Currie beat Ewell in a close campaign in 1982.
  
  Askia -- his full name is pronounced GUY-iz as-Key-ah -- is on a leave of absence from his job as a community affairs liaison for Illinois attorney general Jim Ryan. He actively worked on Jim Ryan's winning campaign and city treasurer Mariam Santos' successful reelection effort.
  
  He was born to Baptist parents but converted to Islam 16 years ago, and counts former boxer Muhammad Ali, who is hosting a November fundraiser for him, among his circle of friends. He has been endorsed by State senate minority leader Emil Jones, city treasurer Santos, State Rep. Connie Howard and David Reed, the chairman of the Harold Washington Party.
  
  Obama has been endorsed by State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25th), Alice Palmer, and local alderman Toni Preckwinkle (4th) and Barbara Holt (5th).

• Neal, Steve (October 27, 1995). Palmer drops to 3rd in 2nd district race. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 37
• Fornek, Scott (October 29, 1995). Foot soldiers for the '96 elections. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 14:

  Election season is officially open, and hordes of volunteers, precinct captains and political aides want your autograph. They're at your supermarket, your bowling alley - even your front door.
  
  They have until Dec. 18 to collect the signatures their candidates must file with the state Board of Elections to run in next year's election.
  
  "It is really a thankless job, but they are essential," says Carol Harwell, campaign manager for Democratic state senate candidate Barack Obama. "No candidate could run without them."
  
  And the circulators must ensure that those casually scribbled signatures - registered voters only - withstand challenges by rival candidates, said Michael Daly, campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Richard J. Durbin.
  
  "There are dozens of pieces of little things that have to be dotted and crossed for a petition to be a legal and approved document."
  
  For the record, the petitions are legally required to demonstrate that the candidate has enough support from registered voters to be on the ballot - even though signing is not a commitment to vote for the candidate. The number of signatures needed varies for different offices and parties.

• (November 8, 1995). IVI-IPO endorses Palmer for 2nd District seat. Hyde Park Herald, p. 3
• editorial (November 14, 1995). Another chance in the 2nd district. Chicago Tribune, p. 16:

  It's time to select an honest, compassionate, level-headed leader, someone who won't produce any unexpected and unwanted surprises.
  
  Democratic primary voters can go a long way toward that end by nominating state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-Chicago.) She is warmly endorsed by the Tribune.
  
  She has formidable opposition in Senate Minority Leader Emil Jones (D-Chicago), state Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) and Jesse Jackson Jr., field director for the National Rainbow Coalition. Jones is an affable and experienced legislator. Davis is a political veteran too. Jackson has inherited much of his father's flair for the well-turned phrase.
  
  But none of them can match Palmer's political independence and wisdom; none offers so much hope of establishing the 2nd District as the home of a congressional leader.

• editorial (November 24, 1995). Emil Jones deserves election to Congress. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 53:

  State Sen. Alice Palmer (D-Chicago) also is bright and articulate, but fails to grasp as well as Jones the issues that concern the district's voters.

• Briggs, Michael (November 28, 1995). Jones gets big boost of money at the end. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 9:

  In a final fund-raising flurry, Jones raked in $74,000 during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to records made public Monday. That was enough to cover a personal loan he had made to his campaign and pushed to at least $353,258 the total he has raised this year.
  
  Jackson, meanwhile, continued to tap donors from other states. The $45,000 that Jackson raised during the past three weeks (which also matched a loan he made to his campaign) included $1,000 donations from O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran, actor Bill Cosby and poet Maya Angelou. The donations brought his total fund-raising to at least $306,239.
  
  State Sen. Alice J. Palmer (D-Chicago) dropped out of the competition for campaign money after putting together a formidable organization that raised $200,036 earlier in the year. A consultant said Palmer stopped soliciting donations as the campaign drew to a close and polls showed her a distant third. Contributions to Palmer all but dried up during the past three weeks, when she took in only $3,000 from three donors.

• Hardy, Thomas; Rubin, Bonnie Miller (November 29, 1995). Jesse Jackson Jr. rolls over veteran opponents; Somer wins GOP primary. Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Metro):

  A disappointed Palmer told a small gathering at a Harvey hotel that she wouldn't seek re-election to the state Senate and was undecided about entering the March primary for the 2nd District seat.

• Strausberg, Chinta (December 5, 1995). Draft Palmer campaign launched. Chicago Defender, p. 4:

  Supporters of Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13) Monday began a draft movement to persuade her to run again for her state senatorial seat after learning she's keeping a promise to back a relatively unknown African American attorney for the post.
  
  Prior to Palmer's losing the Nov. 28 special Second Congressional District race, she reportedly promised attorney Barack Obama, 34, to support him in his bid to win her senatorial seat, since her supporters had convinced her she would win the congressional race.
  
  Obama, who was born in Hawaii and who has lived in Hyde Park for a decade, said he's meeting with Palmer today over the issue and is planning on filing more than 3,000 petitions Monday in Springfield.
  
  Repeated efforts to reach Palmer failed; however, on the night of the primary, she reportedly told reporters she would not run for the Senate. Members of her own committee confirmed her decision but are lobbying hard to change her mind.
  
  Rep. Lou Jones (D-5) said Palmer is a "very principled person. When she announced her congressional candidacy, she told Obama she would support him."
  
  "I'm saddened by her decision not to run for Senate." Starks said, crediting her rationale on her "abysmal showing" in the Nov. 28 primary. Starks and others say Palmer was dismayed at receiving only 3,426 votes in suburban Cook County, and 2,917 or 7.37 percent, of the city voter vs. Jesse Jackson Jr., who received 9,426 of the suburban Cook County and chalked up 52.05 percent of the city vote.

• De Zutter, Hank (December 8, 1995). What Makes Obama Run? Chicago Reader, pp. 1, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24.

  Obama is certainly not the first candidate to talk about the politics of community empowerment. His views, for instance, are not that different from those of the person he would replace, state senator Alice Palmer, who gave Obama her blessing after deciding to run for the congressional seat vacated by Mel Reynolds. She promised Obama that if she lost--which is what happened on November 28--she wouldn't then run against him to keep her senate seat.

• Knapp, Kevin (December 13, 1995). Palmer may re-enter state Senate race. Hyde Park Herald, p. 1:

  There is a movement afoot to draft Illinois Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13th) to run for re-election and Palmer hints she is considering the idea. "There is a group of well-meaning people who want to see me stay in public life," said Palmer. "I'm just listening."
  
  Palmer, who recently lost a hard fought campaign for 2nd District congressman, had stated repeatedly that regardless of the outcome of the congressional race, she would not seek re-election to her senate seat. She endorsed, and had all but passed the torch -- and coveted support of Hyde Park's independent voters -- to Barack Obama, a well-connected attorney and former Palmer-supporter.
  
  Palmer would not confirm nor deny she was running. Nominating petitions are due to be filed by Dec. 18. As of Herald press time, Palmer had not yet filed.
  
  Obama says on Nov. 28, the night Palmer conceded the congressional race to Jesse Jackson, Jr., Palmer told him she would not run. "All I can do is go by her word," Obama said last week.

• Knapp, Kevin (December 13, 1995). List of next year's candidates is sparse. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  The local election season officially started last Monday with lackluster participation from possible candidates.
  
  The most eager candidates usually file nominating petitions on the first day of filing because election laws grant the coveted top position on the ballot to the first one who files.
  
  Two candidates filed in the state senate race: attorney Barack Obama, a Hyde Parker, and Ulmer D. Lynch, who lives in the 17th Ward. The two could face a serious challenge from incumbent Alice Palmer (see related story), but the state board of elections reports that as of Herald press time, Palmer had not filed nominating petitions.

• Hardy, Thomas (December 19, 1995). Jackson foe now wants old job back; Palmer must now battle own endorsee. Chicago Tribune, p. 3 (Metro):

  "Michael Jordan can come back, and so have I," Palmer said in response to the mild controversy created by the filing of her nominating petitions.
  
  Obama, however, accused Palmer of breaking her word and acknowledged that he was being pressured to withdraw in deference to the incumbent.
  
  Palmer had set the stage for her conflict last summer when she launched her congressional campaign and declared that she would forgo re-election for a second term in the state Senate; she endorsed Obama for the seat Sept. 19.
  
  "I am disappointed that she's decided to go back on her word to me," Obama said. He argued that Palmer's action was "indicative of a political culture, where self-preservation comes in rather than service."

• Strausberg, Chinta (December 19, 1995). Palmer OKs draft to run for re-election. Chicago Defender, p. 3:

  Accepting a draft from a bevy of supporters, State Sen. Alice J. Palmer (D-13) Monday agreed to run for re-election, prompting one opponent to place his possible candidacy on hold.
  
  Ending nearly two weeks of intense pressure from her supporters, including professor Robert Starks, activist Mark Allen, State Rep. Lou Jones (D-5), Ald. Barbara Holt (5), State Sens. Emil Jones and Arthur Berman, and others, Palmer confirmed she's running for re-election.
  
  She made the announcement during a press conference held at Harper's, 1528 E. 63rd St., Starks and Allen said Palmer "has the best track record" of the candidates.
  
  But, while her supporters were elated, her key opponent, attorney Barack Obama, who had received Palmer's political blessings before the primary, isn't pleased at all.
  
  Expressing disappointment that Palmer has opted to run and has apparently rescinded an earlier commitment to his candidacy, Obama told reporters: "I believe that I can provide that leadership.
  
  "In light of today's events, I intend to talk to my supporters before making any final decision." Obama said he's remaining in the race "not simply for a short-term personal victory but to make a difference for all of the residents of his district.
  
  He said several months ago, Palmer reportedly asked him for his support of her congressional candidacy.
  
  "Aware of her reputation for integrity and her progressive views on the issues, I wholeheartedly agreed," Obama said.
  
  "On Sept. 19, based on Palmer's insistence that she was not running for state senator in the event she lost as well as her enthusiastic support, I announced that I would run for the Senate," Obama said.
  
  But the political dynamics changed after the Nov. 28 primary that saw Jesse Jackson Jr. nominated and Palmer's supporters began insisting that she break that commitment made to Obama prior to the election and run for re-election.

• (December 19, 1995 – January 4, 1996). State Senator Alice J. Palmer announces run for re-election. South Street Journal, p. 9:

  Woodlawn - In a press conference, Illinois State Senator Alice J. Palmer announced her campaign for re-election to a second term. A crowd of one hundred supporters gathered at 1528 East 63rd street to urge Sen. Palmer to seek re-election to her current office. Immediately following the press conference, the Senator departed Chicago for Springfield to file her petitions to officially join the race.
  
  Key Strategist and Field Organizer for the Jesse Jackson, Jr. Campaign, Marc Allen said: "We can't afford to loose our most experienced legislators who know how to fight and understand the tricks of the trade." During the press conference, Allen volunteered to begin a field operation to re-elect Sen. Palmer which includes seeking out the youth of her district in churches, colleges and community organizations to "continue to take her case to the people."
  
  State Representative Lou Jones also spoke today to encourage Sen. Palmer to make her bid for re-election to the state legislature. Recounting the Senator's years of service to her district, Rep. Jones pledges her full support to the campaign.
  
  Also present to support the Senator were: 5th Ward Alderman Barbara Holt and Service Employees Union President, Tom Balanoff. Senator Palmer will now face off with Ulmer Lynch, Barack Obama and two other possible contenders in the race Ghia Askia and Mark Ewell.
  
  Committee To Re-elect Alice Palmer includes Lois Rosen, Ald. Barbara Holt, Betty Willhoite, Lou Pardo, Edna Pardo, Lou Palmer, Robert Starks, Prof. Michael Dawson, Sedrick Herring, De. Sidney Bild, Harold Rogers, State Rep. Lou-Ann Jones, Prof. Timuel D. Black, State Senator Arthur Berman, Miguel Del Valle, Marc Allen, Frank Mason, Prof. Kenneth Warren, Prof. David Ranney, Bernice Bild, Tom Balanoff, Retired Senator Ethel Skyles Alexander, Prof. Adolph Reed, Jr.

• Knapp, Kevin (December 20, 1995). Palmer caught in campaign draft. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  Illinois Sen. Alice Palmer's announcement that she will run for re-election has many Hyde Park independents flip-flopping in their loyalties.
  
  Palmer (D-13th), who had stated repeatedly that she would not seek re-election to her senate seat, was "drafted" to run by a group of supporters following her loss last month to Jesse Jackson, Jr. in the 2nd District congressional primary election. Though Palmer had endorsed attorney Barack Obama as a candidate to succeed her in the Senate, on Monday she announced she had changed her mind and was heading to Springfield to file nominating petitions.
  
  The "Draft Alice Palmer Committee" was led by community activist and former teacher Timuel Black. Other Palmer supporters include state Sens. Donne Trotter and Arthur Berman, Rep. Lovana "Lou" Jones (23rd), and Ald. Barbara Holt (5th).
  
  Holt is the only local elected official so far who has reversed her endorsement. "The decision was difficult," said Holt, who announced her support for Obama when he announced his candidacy last September.
  
  Obama says he is "disappointed that Sen. Palmer decided to get back in the race. It was partly based on her endorsement that I decided to run." Obama adds it is not likely he will drop out of the contest. "I will consult with my supporters, but at this time I intend to run a positive campaign and win in the March 19 primary."
  
  Obama recognizes that he and Palmer have many mutual supporters who are "understandably upset" at the "conflict between old loyalties and new enthusiasms." But he hope the gauge of the election will not be what other politicians think, but how the people feel about his message. "I'm not going to win because people feel Palmer went back on her word."
  
  Obama's comments were echoed by former Fifth Ward Ald. Lawrence Bloom, "good candidates shouldn't be penalized when politicians change their minds," Bloom said. "Palmer, who has been a good senator, will have a hard time explaining to voters why she's running."

• Knapp, Kevin (December 20, 1995). Candidates file petitions for local political offices. Hyde Park Herald, p. 2:

  Barring the inevitable petition challenges, the list of candidates for congressman, state representative, state senator, and local ward committeemen in the Mar. 19 primary election is in:
  
  A large field of candidates has filed in the local state senate race including attorney Barack Obama, a Hyde Parker, Ulmer D. Lynch, who lives in the 17th Ward, Gha-is Askia, Marc Ewell and incumbent Alice Palmer (see related story on page 1).

• Strausberg, Chinta (December 21, 1995). Palmer challenger says he won't step aside in race. Chicago Defender, p. 3:

  Civil rights attorney Barack Obama, 34, Wednesday confirmed he's staying in the state senatorial race for the 13th District seat currently held by Alice Palmer, who's been drafted to run again after losing the Second District U.S. congressional primary.
  
  Obama chided Palmer for reportedly telling him she would not run for her Senate seat while she was running for Congress and he said he'll let the voters decide who's best for the district come March 19.
  
  "I've made a commitment to a great number of volunteers ... people who've gone out on cold days and circulated petitions, raised funds on my behalf and after talking to them, they feel very strongly that we're talking about the right issues. We offer a vision for the future," Obama said.

• Walls, Sunya (December 25, 1995). Alice Palmer decides to run for re-election. Chicago Weekend, p. 2:

  Although her run to fill the seat of the Second Congressional District was unsuccessful, State Senator Alice Palmer (D-13) has decided to run for re-election in the Illinois Senate.
  
  During a press conference at Harpers Banquet Hall, 1528 E. 63rd Street, she accepted a draft of over 100 supporters to keep her seat. Supporters included State Rep. Lou Jones, founder of the Black Independent Political Organization, Bob Starks, Chair of the Task Force for Black Political Empowerment, Alderman Barbara Holt, and State Senators Emil Jones and Donne Trotter.
  
  Mark Allen, who worked as field organizer for Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s campaign, said he would aid Palmer in her re-election.
  
  This will be Palmer's first bid for re-election and immediately following the press conference, she headed to Springfield to file her nominating petitions. In a call to Citizen Newspapers, the senator said it took her some time to decide to run for re-election.
  
  Palmer had originally endorsed attorney Barack Obama to fill her seat, but changed her mind, she said, because of the tremendous support and draft by constituents.
  
  "I had said I would help someone else and that is one of the reasons I was reluctant but the draft was so big," Palmer stated. While in Springfield, Palmer filed 1,600 petition signatures for the re-election. Even though she didn't officially announce her re-election until this week, supporters gathered the signatures in 10 days, Palmer said.

• Knapp, Kevin (January 3, 1996). Candidates face petition challenges. Hyde Park Herald, p. 3:

  All the opponents of 13th district state Senate candidate Barack Obama are facing challenges to their nominating petitions, according to the state board of elections. A series of hearing scheduled to begin today will determine whether the names of Ulmer D. Lynch, Gha-is Askia, Marc Ewell and incumbent state Sen. Alice Palmer will remain on the ballot for the Mar 19. primary election.
  
  Obama, a Hyde Parker, announced his candidacy last September and is considered a front-runner for the job. Palmer, in spite of her incumbency, launched a last-minute reelection campaign following her defeat in a recent run for Congress. Lynch has run for alderman and state representative but never successfully. The other candidates have never run, although Ewell is the youngest son of former State Representative Raymond Ewell and Askia has some experience as a political consultant.
  
  Challenges to nominating petitions will also have an effect on other local races.
  
  Congressman Bobby Rush (D-1st) will probably be running unopposed, according to sources, because of a challenge to the petitions of his only declared opponent.
  
  State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25th), who is seeking her eleventh term in the Illinois House of Representatives, may also be running unopposed because of a challenge to the nominating petitions of Steven Lang, 33, an employee of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
  
  In the local committeeman races, Fourth Ward Democratic candidate Charles Williams' petitions were challenged as of Herald press time and a challenge to the petitions of candidate Kwame Raoul was expected.
  
  In the 5th Ward, acting committeeman Joseph Gardner is running unopposed.

• Knapp, Kevin (January 10, 1996). Petition challenges shape political ballot. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  Candidates are filing motions and election board officials are checking binders as several local candidates struggle to keep their names on the ballot for the March primary elections.
  
  In the state's 13th Senate district, what once appeared to be a five-way race may become no contest at all.
  
  The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners last week conducted checks of all the candidates in the race except one: Hyde Park attorney Barack Obama. Although final hearings are scheduled to take place later this week, the board's initial findings indicate the four would-be opponents of Obama -- Ulmer Lynch, Marc Ewell, Gha-is Askia, and incumbent 13th district Sen. Alice Palmer, may not have the required amount of valid nominating petition signatures.
  
  Also in serious trouble of being knocked off the ballot are the challengers of incumbent State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (25th) and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. If the petition challengers are successful, Currie and Rush will both run unopposed in March.
  
  In the local committeeman races, the Fifth Ward Republicans have already begun their fight. All three of the candidates -- Marlene White Ahimaz, William Delay and incumbent Clara Simms-Johnson -- have had their nominating petitions challenged. All the candidates except incumbent Toni Preckwinkle were challenged in the Fourth Ward Democratic committeeman race.

• Sneed, Michael (January 11, 1996). Sneed. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 4:

  Scoopsville . . . It's a shocker: Watch for state Sen. Alice Palmer to be knocked off the ballot in her re-election bid.
  
  Why? Palmer, who just lost a bid to capture former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds' seat to Jesse Jackson Jr., did not have enough valid signatures on her nominating petition. (She needed 757 valid signatures and sources say she is going to be a couple of hundred short.) Unbelievable.

• Knapp, Kevin (January 17, 1996). Primary ballot gets face-lift from board. Hyde Park Herald, p. 1:

  Barring a miracle, state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13th) will not be on the ballot in the Mar. 19 primary election.
  
  The miracle Palmer needs is approximately 200 signed and notarized affidavits from the registered voters who signed her nominating petitions.
  
  Palmer, who attempted a rushed campaign for reelection to her senate seat following last November's unsuccessful campaign for Congress, had only a short time to collect the 757 signatures needed to ensure a spot on the ballot. Palmer's opponents appear to have successfully challenged the legitimacy of some of the quickly collected names, although a final hearing on the issue is not scheduled until later this week.
  
  Obama is considered a front-runner for the job. Last Saturday, Obama received the endorsement of the local chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization.
  
  In other local races, state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25th), who is seeking her eleventh term in the Illinois House of Representatives, will be running unopposed. Her only declared opponent, Steven Lang, was knocked off the ballot because of a challenge to his nominating petitions.

• (January 18, 1996). Area Briefs; Palmer out again. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 14:

  State Sen. Alice J. Palmer (D-Chicago) did another political about-face Wednesday, canceling her on-again, off-again re-election plans. The South Shore Democrat said she was withdrawing to avoid losing a legal challenge to the nominating petitions she filed with the state Board of Elections. In a surprise move, Palmer, 56, announced last month that she would seek re-election, a reversal of an earlier decision to step down after she lost the election for the congressional seat vacated by Mel Reynolds. Her re-entry prompted supporters of rival Democrat Barack Obama, 34, whom Palmer had previously endorsed, to file the objection to her petitions.

• Ryan, Nancy; Hardy, Thomas (January 18, 1996). Sen. Palmer ends bid for re-election. Chicago Tribune, p. 6 (Metro):

  Then Palmer angered some supporters by deciding to run for re-election to the General Assembly, even though she already had endorsed a successor, lawyer Barack Obama.
  
  Obama didn't much appreciate Palmer's move, and a volunteer in his campaign challenged hundreds of the 1,580 signatures that Palmer had collected on her nominating petitions. Because of her last-minute decision to re-enter the race, Palmer had only about two weeks to collect all of the signatures.
  
  "When she got back in the race, a number of my supporters were surprised and didn't think that she could have gathered enough good signatures in two weeks," Obama said.

• Strausberg, Chinta (January 18, 1996). Palmer throws in the towel; Lack of signatures forcing State Senator not to seek re-election. Chicago Defender, p. 3:

  Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13) Wednesday announced she's no longer running for re-election because she doesn't have enough signatures to get on the March 19 ballot.
  
  Last November, she announced she would not run for state office again and threw her support behind Obama, a civil rights attorney, but drew criticism from her foes when her supporters convinced her to run for re-election.
  
  "I got involved in this race based on Alice's original endorsement, and I continue to respect her and she has made significant contributions to the community," Obama said.
  
  Palmer said she did not have enough signatures to get on the March 19 primary.
  
  "We got 561 signatures but the total number required was 757," Palmer said explaining that she filed 1,580 signatures.

• Walls, Sunya. (January 21, 1996). Alice Palmer Withdraws from race for re-election. Chicago Weekend, p. 3:

  Senator Alice Palmer (13th) has decided to withdraw from the senate race after learning she did not receive enough signatures on the petitions to run for re-election.
  
  Palmer had originally endorsed candidate Barack Obama to fill her seat, but then changed her mind after she was drafted by several supporters.
  
  Jackie Saul, election specialist with the State Board of Elections, said each candidate must submit a minimum of 757 signatures and Palmer went over the number with 81 pages filed.
  
  Palmer said they obtained 1,580 signatures for her re-election, but some of those names were deleted because of several problems with the signatures that don't go along city guidelines.
  
  Saul said the most common problem with petitions is people sign petitions but they're not registered or they may be registered but don't live within the boundaries of where the election is being held.
  
  Saul said anyone can challenge the validity of signatures in elections, and it's a common occurrence but the allegations must be proven.

• Knapp, Kevin (January 24, 1996). Final primary ballot takes shape. Hyde Park Herald, p. 1:

  State senate candidate Barack Obama will most likely be running unopposed in the Mar. 19 primary election.
  
  Hearing officers at the Chicago Board of Elections recommended that Ulmer Lynch, Jr. a perennial candidate, be removed from the ballot earlier this month.
  
  Palmer withdrew from the race on Jan. 17, saying she determined that rather than fight a challenge to her nominating petitions, "my time and energy are better spent focusing on the difficult work left to be done in the remainder of my term and beyond."
  
  Two other candidates, Gha-is Askia and Marc Ewell, are hundreds of signatures short of securing a spot on the ballot.
  
  In other local races, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st) will be facing a challenge from Caleb A. Davis, Jr. An earlier attempt by Rush's allies to have Davis removed from the ballot was unsuccessful.

• Knapp, Kevin (January 31, 1996). Local independent voters still divided. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 3:

  The fragmented local chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization (IVI/IPO) has once again been fractured—this time over the brief and ill-fated re-election campaign of State Sen. Alice Palmer.
  
  Palmer's decision to seek reelection split the small army of Hyde Park's independent voters into two camps. While a few IVI/IPO stalwarts, including Ald. Barbara Holt (5th), chose to back Palmer's rushed reelection campaign, many chose instead to support candidate Barack Obama—just as Palmer had urged them to do last September when Obama first announced he was seeking Palmer's job.
  
  With Palmer now off the ballot—she withdrew on Jan. 15 following a challenge to her nominating petitions—the Palmer allies that flip-flopped allegiances are looking for a new cause. "Our hopes are to develop a new organization," says Holt.
  
  The alderman, along with a "committee-in-formation" called the "Academic Friends of Senator Alice Palmer," are hoping to form the vanguard of a new political organization that would tackle progressive issues. "We want to show that through the government arena, we can solve problems," explains Holt.
  
  One of Holt's allies is Adolph Reed, Jr., a professor at Northwestern University who recently moved to the South Shore community. "We're at the talking stage, really" Reed says, noting that the group plans to hold a series of political forums. "We believe what is principally missing is a forum for serious and enlightened discussions on political issues."
  
  Reed, who was chairman of the "Draft Palmer Committee," the group which convinced the state senator to run for reelection, says Palmer's attempt to get on the ballot and the subsequent challenge to her nominating petitions by IVI-IPO representatives, "crystallized the need for a progressive organization on Chicago's South Side" and "hardened our determination to develop just such an organization."
  
  Reed called the IVI's actions "Vicious and under-handed," adding it was "final evidence that its members have crossed the line between a nonpartisan organization committed to an open access to the ballot to a private club that pre-selects candidates and works to undermine any legitimate opposition."
  
  Lois Dobry, a long-time IVI member, said the organization's actions were justified. She said that although the whole affair had "left everyone with a bad taste in their mouth...the sad thing is that we've lost a person of this caliber [Palmer] for any future election."

• Knapp, Kevin (February 21, 1996). Ex-candidates sue election board. Hyde Park Herald, p. 1:

  Two ex-candidates for the state senate's 13th district are suing the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, alleging the election board violated their constitutional rights by removing their names from the March 19 primary ballot.
  
  One case was filed on Jan. 16 by Ulmer D. Lynch Jr., who is no stranger to the federal court. Lynch, who is representing himself, submitted a confusing complaint to the U.S. district court which appears to allege the city and state election boards conspired to keep him out of the election. Lynch's recent case was continued until March 15, a date which virtually assures his name will not appear on the ballot.
  
  A more serious challenge comes from Marc Ewell, the son of former state representative Raymond Ewell. In a case scheduled to be heard this week, Ewell alleges the January purge of voter rolls by the board of elections unfairly disenfranchised many voters in the 13th district who signed his petitions.

• Knapp, Kevin (February 28, 1996). Court rules candidate off ballot. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  The ex-candidate who is suing the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners for removing his name from the ballot suffered a setback in court last week as the judge decided not to grant his request for a temporary restraining order.
  
  Marc Ewell, who had planned to run for the state senate's 13th district, the seat currently held by Alice Palmer, is alleging the election board violated his constitutional rights when it ruled that he did not submit a sufficient number of signatures nominating him for the senate post. Ewell was seeking the restraining order until he could get a injunction to get his name put back on the ballot.

• Castillo, Ruben (U.S. District Judge) (March 4, 1996). Marc Ewell, Plaintiff, v. Board of Election Commissioners, Michael J. Hamblet, Chairman, Defendants. v. Barack Obama and Ronald Davis, Intervening Defendants. No. 96 C 823. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

  To be valid, the petitions had to contain the signatures of 757 qualified, registered and legal voters of the Democratic party who reside within the Thirteenth District.
  
  On December 26, 1995, defendant Ronald Davis (a supporter of candidate Barack Obama) filed an objection to the nomination petitions of Ewell and three other candidates with defendant Board and with the State Board of Elections.
  
  Davis' objections to Ewell's candidacy were examined by Lewis Powell, a hearing officer appointed by the Board. After a public hearing at which Ewell was represented by counsel, Powell determined that Ewell had only 671 valid signatures and Davis's objection to his petitions was therefore sustained.
  
  The Board's decision that Ewell's petitions were invalid indicates that his name will be removed from the Primary ballot. Likewise, pursuant to Davis' other objections, two other candidates' petitions were invalidated and the other challenged candidate withdrew. As a result, only one candidate, Barack Obama, remains eligible.

• Knapp, Kevin (March 27, 1996). Election day yields a few surprises. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  On the Democratic ballot, the only contested race was Bobby Rush's seat in Congress. Rush, a two-term congressman, easily beat his opponent, a political unknown named Caleb Davis, collecting more than 90 percent of the the vote.
  
  Incumbent State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie and State Senate candidate Barack Obama, both running unopposed, won places on the November ballot.
  
  The only candidates on the ballot for Democratic committeemen in the Fifth and Fourth wards, Joseph Gardner and Toni Preckwinkle, were elected.

• (April 3, 1996). Senate hopeful still has plenty to spend. Hyde Park Herald, pp. 1, 2:

  First-time candidate Barack Obama, the 13th district's Democratic nominee for state senator, raised over $60,000 for his unopposed primary campaign, much of it from sources outside his district. About a third of this money remained unspent as of Feb. 17, the last date covered by his most recent disclosure form.
  
  By contrast, Barbara Flynn Currie, the 25th district's Democratic nominee for state representative, raised about $95,000 for her primary campaign; as of Feb 18., she had about $90,000 remaining. Currie was also unopposed.
  
  About half of the contributions to Obama's campaign came from outside the 13th district.
  
  "I didn't know I was running unopposed until fairly late in the game," Obama explained. "Even a month before, we still had candidates we were running against." Obama at one time was facing four opponents. All four, including incumbent Alice Palmer were removed from the ballot because their nominating petitions contained insufficient numbers of valid signatures.
  
  Obama said between Feb. 17 and Mar. 19, the day of the primary, he spent about $10,000 on his campaign. The remaining $10,000 he plans to spend on office expenses and his general election campaign.
  
  Obama said the boundaries of a senatorial district are "artificial" and the people who contributed to his campaign were people interested in issues of education and economic development. "I'm not in this just to win an election, but to do outreach and form task forces in the district," he said.

• (September 25, 1996). Two candidates to challenge Obama for state senate seat. Hyde Park Herald, p. 2:

  State senate candidate Barack Obama will face two challengers in the November election.
  
  David Whitehead, a former candidate for alderman of the 18th Ward, is the Harold Washington Party candidate and Rosette Caldwell Peyton, a Republican and a teacher at Kozminski Academy, will also be on the ballot for the state senate's 13th District, according to the state board of elections.

• editorial (October 16, 1996). Illinois Senate endorsements. Chicago Tribune, p. 22:

  13th District (South Side): Democrat Barack Obama, an attorney, law professor and community activist, is a worthy successor to retiring Sen. Alice Palmer. Obama has potential as a political leader and is endorsed over Republican Rosette Peyton and the Harold Washington Party's David Whitehead.

• Knapp, Kevin (October 23, 1996). Two 'stealth candidates' on ballot in state senate race. Hyde Park Herald, p. 3:

  Three candidates have filed for the local state senate race, but two of them are nowhere to be found, according to the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
  
  Only the Democratic candidate, Hyde Park resident Barack Obama, has responded in writing to the league's invitation to participate in a candidate's forum scheduled to take place this weekend.

• editorial (October 27, 1996). Our endorsements for Illinois Senate. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 39:

  13th District (South and Southwest sides): Democrat Barack Obama, a lawyer and community activist, is the clear choice over Republican Rosette Caldwell Peyton and Harold Washington candidate David Whitehead.

Newross (talk) 03:43, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
Newross (talk) 03:03, 17 July 2008 (UTC)
Newross (talk) 22:42, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
Newross (talk) 23:14, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
Newross (talk) 05:40, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Popularity

Does anyone know how popular she was? I heard a lot of propaganda against Obama saying she was an extremely popular candidate and that people were upset when Obama claimed her seat. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.46.55.6 (talk) 03:42, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Please see the above Election results section and the Illinois Senate elections of Barack Obama article:

1. On March 15, 1988, Alice Palmer received 5,831 votes in defeating incumbent 7th Ward Democratic committeeman Ald. William Beavers (Beavers was reelected 7th Ward alderman in 1991, and again elected 7th Ward Democratic committeeman in 1992 when Palmer did not run for reelection). On June 6, 1991, 7th Ward Democratic committeeman Alice Palmer appointed herself state Senator to fill the last 19 months of the four-year term of 67-year-old state Sen. Richard Newhouse (D-13) following his unexpected midterm retirement.
2. On March 17, 1992, incumbent state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13) received 29,115 votes in defeating first-time candidate Charlie Calvin, a Cook County Circuit Court juvenile probation officer, in the primary election for the Democratic nomination for state Senator from a redistricted 13th legislative district. In the November 3, 1992 general election, state Sen. Alice Palmer, running unopposed, was elected to a four-year term as state Senator for the redrawn 13th legislative district.
3. On November 28, 1995, state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13) received 6,343 votes (2,917 votes in Chicago and 3,426 votes in suburban Cook County) in finishing a distant third to Jesse Jackson, Jr. and state Sen. Emil Jones, Jr. in the special primary election for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois.
4. On December 18, 1995, incumbent state Sen. Alice Palmer (D-13) filed nominating petitions to appear on the March 19, 1996 primary ballot for the Democratic nomination for state Senator for the 13th legislative district. On January 17, 1996, Palmer announced she was withdrawing her bid for reelection because she was found to have only 561 valid nominating petition signatures, 196 short of the required 757 valid signatures needed to earn a place on the ballot after almost two-thirds of the 1,580 signatures on her nominating petitions were found to be invalid.

Newross (talk) 06:36, 11 June 2009 (UTC)