Quigley wins Dem nod for Emanuel’s seat

Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley has won the Democratic primary in the special election for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s former Illinois House seat. He is a near-cinch to win the seat next month.

Quigley led the two other front-runners, state Reps. Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, by more than 2,300 votes out of nearly 50,000 ballots cast. More than four-fifths of precincts are reporting.

{mosads}Quigley was first with 22 percent of the vote, while Fritchey and Feigenholtz were second and third, respectively, with both around 17 percent.

The Associated Press has called the race for Quigley, and The Chicago Tribune reports Fritchey has conceded.

Quigley had the endorsements of both major Chicago papers, The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Feigenholtz led the money race and was backed by Emily’s List and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Fritchey was the favorite candidate of several other unions who weighed in the race.

Quigley appears set to face Republican Rosanna Pulido in the special election April 7. Pulido led a field of six unheralded Republicans but stands little chance in the head-to-head matchup next month in the heavily Democratic district.

In the Democratic primary, a dozen candidates were vying. Chicago Alderman Patrick O’Connor was running fourth, with Dr. Victor Forys, the favorite of the Polish-American community, fifth.