NORTH LAWNDALE — When it comes to money and polls in the 24th Ward, candidate Michael Scott Jr. might have a leg up on his opponent, second-time candidate Vetress Boyce.
Scott, a Chicago Park District manager, is set to square off against Boyce, a general contractor, in the election Tuesday.
Boyce and Scott are headed to a runoff after 10 contenders split the vote for the open seat in February. In the municipal general election, Scott was the frontrunner, securing 30 percent of the vote. Boyce received 17 percent of the vote.
To fund their campaigns, Scott had raised about $74,200 as of Friday, while Boyce had raised about $45,700, according to state campaign finance records.
Scott's support also includes help from Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), who was was unchallenged in the lead-up to the Feb. 24 election after getting his seven challengers knocked off the ballot.
Ervin paid for space and hosted a fundraiser for Scott at Homan Square Atrium Feb. 21, according to social media posts. Scott said this week that the event was not a joint fundraiser.
Scott may lead Boyce in votes, too, according to a recent poll. Of the 382 sample 24th Ward voters polled on March 23, Odgen & Fry concluded that 70 percent supported Scott, while 30 percent said they planned to vote for Boyce. The poll was commissioned by Aldertrack, a website that closely tracks Chicago's municipal elections.
In the poll release, Ogden & Fry concluded Scott's candidacy enjoys strong name recognition in the ward, but said that the timing of the poll — more than two weeks before the election — meant there was room for change in the race.
Scott is the son of former Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott Sr., an ally of form Mayor Richard Daley who died in 2009. Boyce is a founding member of the North Lawndale Black Chamber of Commerce.
In December, incumbent Ald. Michael Chandler announced he would not run for a fifth term. He served three terms, but was beaten by Sharon Dixon in 2007. In 2011, facing a crowd of 18 candidates, Chandler won his seat back, ultimately defeating Dixon in a runoff.
The 24th Ward includes parts of North Lawndale, West Garfield Park and South Austin.
The election is Tuesday.
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