Is this the Year of the Woman? Apparently not in county politics
Frank Avila Jr. knows how to push buttons. In 2014, when Mayor Rahm Emanuel challenged the validity of Willie Wilson’s nominating petitions, Avila raised a stink by claiming the effort was racially motivated.
Emanuel vehemently denied the charges, but he ultimately dropped his challenge and ended up in a run- off with Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
Avila is using the same tactics on behalf of Andrea Raila, the underdog in the Democratic primary for Cook County assessor.
Both of Raila’s opponents — incumbent Joe Berrios and investment banker Frederick “Fritz” Kaegi — are challenging her nominating petitions.
Cook County Clerk David Orr, who is supporting Kaegi, serves as the chief election authority for Cook County, the body responsible for conducting hearings on petition challenges.
On Tuesday, Avila filed a motion requesting that Orr, and his designee, recuse themselves.
“My problem is not only does Orr have a conflict of interest, but this is a sexist narrative. Raila is the only woman running for this office. These election challenges in this cycle are mostly against women and minorities,” Avila said.
Noted Raila: “I am the only person that has a double challenge, and it’s just not right. I know these signatures are good and valid signatures.”
She will be the first Democratic woman to run for the assessor’s office in its 85- year history.
“I think this will be the year of the woman,” said Avila, referencing the fallout over sexual harassment claims that are stacking up from Hollywood to Springfield.
“We want Orr to apologize for being the election authority and endorsing Fritz Kaegi and for asking Andrea to get out of the race. We also want Kaegi and Berrios to drop their challenges against Raila,” Avila told me.
But Avila may have missed that boat.
The hot issue in this race is the lawsuit that alleges Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios “systematically and illegally shifts residential property tax burden in Cook County from property owners in majoritywhite neighborhoods to majority Hispanic and majority African- American neighborhoods.”
According to her bio, Raila has managed her own property tax appeal firm for nearly three decades. That experience should give her keen insight in to how the system works.
But in order to get on the ballot she’ll have to get past the intense scrutiny of the 28,585 signatures on her petition.
Orr called Avila’s complaint a “political stunt” and pointed out that he appointed an attorney as his designee in the early ’ 90s.
“I wanted to have a nonelected official, a professional election law expert. Dan Madden has been acting in my stead going back to 1992. I don’t talk to Dan about these cases. I stay away from all that,” Orr said.
Orr announced in June that he would not be seeking an 8th term as Cook County clerk.
He is unapologetic about his public support of Kaegi.
But he said he has asked Madden not to participate in the hearings involving Raila, even though it is “perfectly appropriate” for him to do so.
“Campaigns have a right to make noise,” Orr said.
“In this particular case, I believe the assessor’s office is in dangerous disarray. I made a personal decision to support Fritz Kaegi. Because I am directly involved in that case, I went further and said I am going to recuse Dan,” he said, adding that he doesn’t “like the whole petition process.”
Designees appointed by the Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown would decide Raila’s fate. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas could also appoint a designee to fill the vacant slot,” according to Orr.
You know what they say, “be careful what you ask for.”
That all- star lineup of the county’s most powerful female politicians could make it a lot harder for Avila to make his case.
“Raila is the only woman running for this office. These election challenges in this cycle are mostly against women and minorities.”
Frank Avila Jr., on Joe Berrios and Frederick Kaegi challenging Andrea Raila’s Democratic nominating petitions for Cook County assessor