Catching Up With The Creator Of "Next Chicago Mayor"

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Dec 18, 2009 6:40PM

Yesterday, we told you about the polling website Next Chicago Mayor. The responses - both serious and joking - came rolling in. As of this morning, our own Tankboy actually leads Patrick Fitzgerald and Mayor Daley. So what was the real purpose of the site? Who's behind it? We emailed the anonymous creator of the site to find out a few more details.

[You can email the site itself at nextchicagomayor(at)gmail(dot)com.]

Chicagoist: Will the site grow or will it stay in its current form?

Next Chicago Mayor: The site is really just intended as a conversation starter for now. Chicago voters are very apathetic because they have a deep-seated belief that status quo will always win elections in Chicago. So we've been more likely to view local elections as a joke than an important part of the democratic process. That apathy is strong enough that potential candidates don't think it's worth running, and we're left with few choices in our mayoral and aldermanic elections. But I believe the political climate in Chicago has been changing in recent years, and voters may be waking up from their apathy. I've been disappointed though with the lack of conversation about that possibility for a new political direction for our city. So my hope with this site is to help Chicagoans recognize that we are now ready to elect a new mayor -- and maybe help some strong candidates gather the courage to run in the process.

Or maybe I'm wrong. Do Ronnie Woo Woo or Louis Sullivan have a better chance of motivating Chicago voters than a competitive candidate?

C: What do you plan to do with the results? Do you plan to back the candidate who receives the most votes?

NCM: The future of the site will depend on the response. I hope it gets enough response that it catches the attention of a few potential candidates, and I'll likely at least notify the top few of the results. The site will not officially endorse any of the candidates. I'm open to suggestions for how the site might grow, and I'd be happy to coordinate with and link to other peoples' initiatives to promote competitive elections in Chicago.

C: Will you remain anonymous?

NCM: I do plan to remain anonymous.