Aldermanic endorsements: Wards 32-43

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Updated: February 28, 2011 12:21AM

We continue our endorsements today in contested Chicago aldermanic elections.

32nd Ward

North Side

Residents of this ward historically dominated by the Rostenkowski clan are fortunate to have a chance to return first-term Ald. Scott Waguespack to the City Council. Waguespack has been independent — he provided one of the votes against the parking meter lease fiasco and he has pushed for broader Council oversight of city contracts. But he also has been an effective advocate locally and has worked to bring stricter controls on zoning and development for his ward, which includes Roscoe Village, west Lincoln Park, Ukrainian Village, Bucktown and south Lake View. He is not an advocate of a city casino but is willing consider any reasonable proposal. Also running are David M. Pavlik, a Budget Manager in the Governor’s Office of Management and the Budget — who himself has no shortage of fresh ideas for the ward — Brian Gorman and lawyer Bryan P. Lynch.

34th Ward

South Side

The voters of this Roseland and West Pullman ward would be wise to retain veteran Ald. Carrie M. Austin, who was appointed to the Council in 1994 to fill the seat of her late husband, Lemuel Austin. The outspoken Ald. Austin has grown in the job and now chairs the powerful Budget Committee. That’s where you want your alderman to be. Austin is responsible for a big Salvation Army development — a $109.8 million arts and recreation center — coming to the ward.

35th Ward

Northwest Side

Ald. Rey Colon has been called a Mayor Daley loyalist and someone who rarely has anything to say at Council meetings. He also is viewed in some quarters as having failed to deliver on his promise to run a transparent office. But Colon’s independent streak — he voted against the parking meter lease and relocating the Chicago Children’s Museum to Grant Park — earns him our endorsement. Colon favors allowing gambling in the city to keep those dollars from being spent at facilities elsewhere. He also has worked behind the scenes to address crime problems in the ward, which includes part of Independence Park, Humboldt Park, Avondale and Logan Square. He is opposed by Illinois State Toll Highway Authority worker Miguel Sotomayor and longtime ward resident Nancy Schiavone, an energetic and bright lawyer with a record of community service.

36th Ward

Northwest Side

Voters in this ward, which includes Galewood, Montclair and Belmont Heights, have a choice: When former Ald. William J.P. Banks recently stepped down, he backed his aide, John A. Rice, to replace him. Voters who liked the way Banks ran the office can expect Rice to continue his policies. He gets our endorsement. For those anxious for a change, we think firefighter Nicholas Sposato, who has positioned himself as the “average Joe” candidate, offers the best alternative. Others on the ballot are Thomas J. Motzny, Bruce Randazzo, Jodi Biancalana and Brian Murphy.

37th Ward

West Side

We wish there were a stronger slate of candidates for this impoverished ward, which includes Austin and Belmont Cragin, because its residents need a boost. Incumbent Ald. Emma M. Mitts is a protege of former Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers, who was sent to prison on corruption charges. Unfortunately, the challengers — Maretta Brown-Miller, Minerva V. Orozco, Steven E. Pleasant, Tommy O. Albina and Shanika J. Finley — don’t bring the kind of credentials to the race that indicate they could do a better job. We endorse Mitts.

38th Ward

Northwest Side

This ward, which includes Portage Park and Old Irving Park, long has been the province of the politically connected Cullerton family. Now, though, it is a wide-open race because former Ald. Tom Allen stepped down to become a Cook County Circuit Court judge. The committeeman, Patricia “P.J.” Cullerton, is backing her brother and apparent front-runner, Timothy M. Cullerton, who spent his career as a city electrical inspector, and who was appointed alderman to replace Allen. Of the many non-Cullertons in the race, we endorse Tom Caravette, who owns a real estate business, grew up in the ward and has been campaigning for the job longer than anyone else. Caravette backs a casino for Chicago, but opposes video gambling in neighborhood restaurants and bars. He would address problems caused by the illegal conversion of single-family houses to multi-unit housing.

39th Ward

North Side

We still haven’t heard a satisfactory answer from Ald. Margaret Laurino to questions about illicit money from the Hired Truck scandal showing up in her campaign coffers. But she has a good record in some other areas and earned our endorsement four years ago. Laurino sees gambling as a tax on the poor, and she opposes any expansion. An incumbent since 1995 in this ward, centered on the North Park neighborhood, Laurino gets our backing again this year partly because her only opponent on the ballot, Mary K. Hunter, is not providing meaningful opposition.

41st Ward

Far Northwest Side

This ward, which includes Edison Park, Norwood Park and Edgebrook, has been the only Republican ward in the city. But with the departure of Ald. Brian Doherty, it’s a wide-open race with 11 candidates. Thomas Patrick Murphey, an urban planner with experience in the city and suburbs, is a diligent and strong candidate with many good ideas. Barbara Ateca, a nurse, and Jim Mullen, a former Chicago police officer who was shot in the line of duty and left a quadriplegic, are seeking to provide a voice for those who are tired of business as usual. The front-runners are seen as Maurita E. Gavin, a Doherty aide who has his support, and Mary O’Connor, the ward’s Democratic committeeman since 2008. O’Connor, who has run a local catering business for 20 years, gets our endorsement for her broad understanding of the city’s problems and how to address them. Also running are Richard Gonzalez, Daniel T. Lapinski, James J. Schamne, John Joseph Quinn, Brock Merck and George Banna.

43rd Ward

North Side

Some Chicago wards are doing pretty darn terrific, despite corners of blight and vacant storefronts. Property values are high, developers clamor to get in and the community can afford to be picky about growth and investment. That would be the 43rd Ward, home to Lincoln Park, a lot of money and even more post-graduate degrees. With that in mind, we endorse for alderman Michele Smith, a former federal prosecutor with good-government credentials, who we feel confident would demand the very best in future development, especially with respect to a 6½-acre site being vacated by Children’s Memorial Hospital. Critics complain that Smith can come on a little strong, but we’ve never met a former federal prosecutor who did not. That can be good. As the ward’s Democratic committeeman, Smith risked the wrath of her own party in the November election by endorsing independent Forrest Claypool over Joe Berrios for Cook County assessor. Two other worthy candidates are health care executive Tim Egan, who has strong support among business leaders, and civil rights attorney Rafael A. Vargas.