WEST PULLMAN — Mayor Rahm Emanuel insisted Wednesday that the election isn't about him, but about the people of Chicago, while pledging to run a "campaign of ideas" in the runoff.
Emanuel said his April 7 runoff with Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Chicago) replaced the "multiple choice" of Tuesday's election with a "clear choice."
While praising Garcia as someone who "loves Chicago" and is a "good man," Emanuel suggested Garcia, a former alderman, represents "the politics of the past, which denied and delayed and deferred our decisions."
He said the election would be about "who has both the plans and the perseverance" to move the city forward.
"This is not about me," Emanuel insisted. "It's about the people of Chicago."
Peppered by reporters who repeatedly asked if voters rejected his brash personal management style, Emanuel said that what people sometimes perceive as his "arrogance" was actually his "passion."
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) backed him, saying, "Everybody thinks he's arrogant. Why can't anyone see that as passion?"
Emanuel held a news conference at Hancock House, a West Pullman senior center.
In the election, Emanuel won 45.4 percent of the vote while Garcia captured 33.9 percent.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
