Fight for the Fifth Floor 2011: Who's In?

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 23, 2010 2:30PM

The saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life." But in the race to replace Richard Daley as Mayor, the list of candidates is just slightly to the left of overkill.

20 candidates officially filed by close of business yesterday with the city Board of Election Commissioners, and there were some surprises on the list:

• Rob Halpin, the tenant renting out Rahm Emanuel's Ravenswood home, filed with what he said were 20,000 signatures. Halpin's renting out Emanuel's home is the lynchpin behind the potential residency challenge of Emanuel's candidacy, and in this Chicagoisto's estimation, the only thing that could derail what feels like an inevitable Emanuel Administration on the Fifth Floor.
• A write-in candidacy has been filed on behalf of Senator Roland Burris, that Burris signed off on. The petition, which claims 20,000 signatures, was filed late Monday. It's no secret that Burris is steaming that he isn't able to finish out his Senate term. Maybe he feels he needs that one extra bullet point for the resume on his hubristic tombstone.
• Jay Stone, son of 50th Ward Alderman Bernie Stone and Spaulding Smails to Bernie Stone's Judge Smails, filed his candidacy with only 280 signatures, according to Michael Sneed. The minimum to be included on the ballot is 12,500. Maybe he hypnotized the clerks into believing the 280 signatures were the actual minimum.
• The two most enticing spots on the ballot are occupied by Carol Moseley Braun (first) and William "Dock" Walls (last). Walls filed his 25,000 signatures with minutes to spare yesterday, giving James Meeks a ballot cockblock in the process.
• Not seen on the list: "Hard Party" candidate Cynthia Plaster Caster. Insert your prick tease jokes here.

You'll want to check in on the site around 10, as Karl begins a three-part podcast with Plaster Caster.