PORTAGE PARK — One of the most crowded Chicago City Council races will take place in the 38th Ward, with nine candidates in the running to replace Ald. Tim Cullerton, whose family has represented Portage Park and Dunning since 1973.
The Feb. 24 election will be the first under a new City Council map that was recently upheld by the state appeals court. That redistricting moved most of Dunning from the 36th Ward into the 38th Ward.
The candidates are:
• Belinda Cadiz
• Realtor Tom Caravette
• John Cianci
• Michael C. Duda
• Carmen Hernandez, investigator, City of Chicago Water Department
• Chicago Police Officer Mike Keeney
• Cook County Forest Preserve District Sgt. Jerry Paszek
• Heather Sattler, chief operating officer of the 100 Club of Chicago
• Ald. Nicholas Sposato (36th)
Sattler, who is the second in command at the 100 Club, a charity that helps the families of police and firefighters who die in the line of duty, raised approximately $14,400 before Sept. 30, including $200 from Nancy Cullerton, the alderman's wife. She has $7,645 on hand, according to state records.
The candidate's mother, Rita Sattler, was Cullerton's chief of staff until she retired earlier this year after 21 years running the 38th Ward Office.
Cullerton, who has said he does not plan to endorse a candidate, has known Sattler since she was in preschool and praised her as an "amazing person."
Sposato, a firefighter who was elected to the council to represent the 36th Ward in 2011, helped found the Progressive Reform Caucus, which often opposes Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposals.
Sposato, who changed the name of his 2011 36th Ward campaign committee to allow him to use it for his 2015 38th Ward campaign, raised approximately $38,500 from July 1 to Sept. 30, including several donations from unions, including the Chicago Teachers Union.
Sposato, whose campaign is $38,000 in debt, has $71,400 on hand for the campaign.
Cadiz, Duda, Hernandez and Keeney have not created campaign finance committees, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Cadiz, Cianci and Duda have not created election websites or Facebook pages.
Cianci did not respond to repeated requests for an interview from DNAinfo Chicago.
Caravette, who lost to Cullerton in the runoff that decided the 2011 aldermanic election, and Cianci, have formed campaign committees, but neither candidate has raised any money and neither has any money on hand, according to state records.
Paszek held his first fundraiser Nov. 21.
Each candidate had to file at least 473 signatures with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners by 5 p.m. Monday, said spokesman Jim Allen.
Objections to any of those signatures are due by 5 p.m. Dec. 3, Allen said.
Elections' officials will review all petitions to ensure they meet the minimum standard before setting the ballot order, which will be determined by lottery, since Caravette, Cianci, Paszek, Sattler and Sposato filed at 9 a.m. Nov. 17, Allen said.
The election is set for Feb. 24. In races where no candidate earns 50 percent of the votes cast, a runoff between the top two candidates will take place April 7.
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