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Read the press release here.

Longtime Ald. Walter Burnett Wins 27th Ward Election, Landing Sixth Term

By Stephanie Lulay | February 24, 2015 9:15pm
 Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) was reelected Tuesday night, landing a sixth term.
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) was reelected Tuesday night, landing a sixth term.
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DNAinfo/Chloe Riley

NEAR WEST SIDE — Longtime Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. was re-elected to his 27th Ward seat Tuesday.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, the incumbent held 75 percent of the vote to challenger Gabe Beukinga's 25 percent, sealing Burnett's sixth term.

After Burnett's win, spokesman Tom Bowen said residents of the 27th Ward continue to back the 51-year-old alderman, who's a close ally of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"The voters demonstrated their confidence in the alderman by giving him an overwhelming majority of the vote," Bowen said.

Beukinga, a 31-year-old first-time candidate, waged a months-long battle to make it on the ballot after a marathon objection case against him landed in court.

 A guide to all the aldermanic candidates running in the 27th Ward race.
A guide to all the aldermanic candidates running in the 27th Ward race.
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DNAinfo

In a series of "drunken" e-mails sent in November, Beukinga threatened to "crush" an influential developer and accused the firm of engaging in "pay-to-play politics" with Burnett.

Beukinga apologized, but contended that he was still a better choice for the seat than Burnett, who was convicted of bank robbery at age 17 and served two years in prison.

Leading up to the election, Burnett and Beukinga sparred over the controversial new Fulton Market District gateway and the city's Fulton/Randolph District plan.

The diverse 27th Ward includes parts of the West Loop, Greektown, Garfield Park, the Near North Side, Old Town, West Humboldt Park, West Town, the Medical District and Goose Island neighborhoods.

Check out our full 2015 Aldermanic Election guide for more info on the candidates in this and other ward races.

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