Aldermanic candidates could break city record

Being alderman must look like a pretty good gig.

More than 120 people filed for a chance at the job Monday -- four of them former aldermen trying for comebacks.

"I decided to take another shot at it," said Vilma Colom, who lost her Near Northwest Side 35th Ward seat to Rey Colon four years ago. "I've learned from things that could have been different, should have been different."

It was the first day of the weeklong period to file the signatures needed to get on the ballot for the Feb. 27 election for mayor, clerk, treasurer and the city's 50 aldermanic seats.

By the end of the day 131 people filed for all city offices, more than the first day of any past municipal election since 1991, when 143 came out. That year wound up the most crowded -- 325 people filed, the most in at least 50 years.

"We think we're going to probably if not beat, possibly meet where we were in 1991," said Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. "We hear that there's going to be a lot of candidates per ward."

By day's end, 37 of the 47 sitting alderman were facing challengers, and 12 hopefuls had filed for the open seats in the 7th, 8th and 18th wards, where the incumbents have moved on to other elected offices.

"It's indicative of the interest the people have in local government," said Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), dean of the City Council. "Municipal government is really where the rubber meets the road."

Veteran political activist Richard Barnett sees another motivating force.

"The main reason why there are so many of them is the salary," he said, citing the $98,125 annual aldermanic pay. "Another reason there's so many candidates is a lot of people are dissatisfied with the alderman they have."

Maybe, but Burke -- one of the few incumbents who saw no challenger surface Monday -- cautions, "It's pretty hard for an incumbent to get beat if the incumbent's been doing his or her job."

And when they do lose, incumbents don't get mad. They run again.

But Colom insists it's no grudge match in the 35th Ward, where she and Esteban Burgoa filed to run against Colon.

"I'm going to be campaigning on my new ideas, what I did as alderman and what I plan to do in the future," said Colom, who has been with the Cook County sheriff's office since her defeat in 2003.

In the Southwest and West Side 25th Ward, Ald. Danny Solis is seeking to extend his 10-year tenure against Cuahutemoc Morfin, Aaron Del Valle and two former aldermen: Juan M. Soliz and Ambrosio Medrano.

Jesse Granato is also trying to get back in the Council -- but from a different ward. Granato represented the Near Northwest Side 1st Ward from 1995 until 2003, when he was ousted by Manny Flores.

sfornek@suntimes.com