New 33rd Ward Alderman No Surprise At All

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 24, 2013 1:30PM

Mayor Emanuel announced State Rep. Deb Mell would succeed her father, Dick, as 33rd Ward Alderman Wednesday morning, a move as expected as the sun rising in the east and the Cubs and White Sox being out of playoff contention before the All-Star break.

Although Emanuel insisted installing Deb Mell as alderman wasn't an automatic conclusion in the weeks after her father announced his resignation, he went out of his way to praise her work as a state lawmaker and said her last name shouldn't disqualify her for the job. Mell was also vetted by the screening committee organized by the Emanuel administration to find a successor.

Deb Mell will take part in Wednesday's City Council meeting. Dick Mell, who served as 33rd Ward Alderman won't be completely riding off into the proverbial sunset. He'll be retaining the clout-heavy post of Democratic committeeman for the ward.