Del Valle wins nod from Latino County commissioners

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Miguel del Valle

Updated: April 30, 2011 4:47AM

He may be behind in the polls and in fund-raising, but on Friday, City Clerk Miguel del Valle picked up the endorsements of both Hispanic commissioners on the Cook County Board.

“He knows what it takes to build healthy neighborhoods, to bring vibrancy, to put people to work,” Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia said. “If we’re looking for integrity, if we’re looking for independence, and accountability ... Miguel del Valle is the best choice.”

Garcia represents the largely Mexican-American 7th district on the Southwest Side. Edwin Reyes represents the more Puerto Rican 8th District on the Northwest Side. Both endorsed del Valle Friday. Del Valle is also backed by the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization.

Del Valle reported raising a mere $60,000 Thursday, showing he is being out raised 200-to-1 by Rahm Emanuel and 50-to-1 by the other Hispanic candidate in the race, former School Board chief Gery Chico.

Should del Valle pull out and endorse Chico? Chico is showing twice the overall support in the polls, though Hispanic voters appear equally split between the two.

“He is not running as a Latino candidate,” Garcia said. “He has strength in that community, but he is well-respected everywhere.”

Emanuel’s big-dollar donations from Steven Spielberg and other movie industry moguls don’t make him unbeatable, del Valle said.

“This amount of money is an obscene amount of money,” del Valle said. “We knew that from the beginning, that Rahm Emanuel would raise big dollars in Hollywood and on Wall Street and in other parts of the country. There are a lot of big-money interests out there counting on Rahm Emanuel to protect their interests. This is Chicago. We should not be picking a mayor of the city of Chicago based on what Hollywood star or what Hollywood tycoon is able to provide ... funding for the mayoral candidate.”

Chico was endorsed this week by the Fraternal order of Police, the union representing Chicago cops.