Rahm's Not Eligible to Be Mayor of Chicago

That won't stop the Dem machine from making sure he wins, but they'll have to pay off some judges along the way.

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel (D) may face as many as 19 other contenders in the race to succeed retiring Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (D), according to candidate filings submitted Monday. But even before Emanuel contends with his rivals on the ballot, he’ll have to overcome another hurdle: a dispute over his residency.

Election law attorney Burt Odelson, who also has served as an adviser to several of Emanuel’s opponents in the race, is planning to file a legal challenge with the Chicago Board of Elections as early as tomorrow arguing that Emanuel does not meet Illinois’ residency requirement for candidates running for municipal office. In an interview with The Fix, Odelson said that he is representing a group of Chicago citizens and that no campaign is involved in the challenge.

Hot Air explains the problem:

According to Illinois’ municipal code, candidates have to be a resident of the state for a year prior to the election. Emanuel moved back to the state in October, a full seven months too late to qualify, if you follow the letter of the statute, so he should not be allowed to run. However, Emanuel does not plan to argue the letter of the law but the spirit. He claims that his intention was to remain a resident, since he voted an absentee ballot in Illinois, kept his vehicle registered there, and paid property taxes on the home he owns there.

Does anyone seriously believe that Rahm will be disqualified? It'll never happen. The machine is so entrenched in Chicago politics that any judge who tries to stand in the way is likely to find a horse's head in his bed or an equivalent warning.  Rahm will be the next mayor of Chicago - you can pretty much count on it.