Incumbents gearing up for April runoff

Six incumbent aldermen in Black wards on the South and West sides must continue campaigning.

Failing to get at least 50 percent of the vote, Alds. Freddrenna Lyle (6^th), Toni Foulkes (15^th), JoAnn Thompson (16^th), Latasha Thomas (17^th), Willie Cochran (20^th) and Sharon Dixon (24^th) will fight to retain their seats in an April 5 runoff election.

Lyle –– who garned 44 percent of the vote –– faces Roderick Sawyer, son of the late former mayor Eugene Sawyer. The father was alderman of the 6^th Ward before taking over for Harold Washington, who died in office.

Foulkes will go head-to-head with Raymond Lopez. The incumbent received 44 percent of the vote.

Community organizer Hal Baskin is going after Thompson’s seat, who got 43 percent of the vote.

With 49 percent of the vote, Thomas must face David Moore in the runoff.

Cochran couldn’t escape a battle with rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith. Cochran snagged 46 percent of the vote.

Dixon is hoping to repeat a win from four years ago when she beat Chandler. In a race with 16 challengers, Dixon got 20 percent of the vote. Initially there were 18 candidates in the race, but on Feb. 12, Martavius “Mark” Carter announced at an aldermanic forum that he was dropping out of the race.

Copyright 2011 Chicago Defender