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Incumbent Emma Mitts Leads Challenger Tara Stamps in 37th Ward Runoff

By  Kyla Gardner and Sam Cholke | April 6, 2015 5:08pm | Updated on April 7, 2015 9:37pm

 Emma Mitts and Tara Stamps
Emma Mitts and Tara Stamps
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CHICAGO — The 37th Ward alderman will be determined in Tuesday night's runoff election.

With 32 of 41 precincts reporting at about 9:30 p.m., incumbent Emma Mitts held 53 percent of the vote with 4,086 votes, and challenger Tara Stamps had 47 percent of the vote with 3,678 votes.

No candidate won a majority of the vote Feb. 24, leading to the runoff.

In February, Mitts, who has represented the Austin and Garfield Park ward since she was appointed in 2000, scored 49 percent of the vote. Stamps, one of three challengers for the seat, got 32 percent of the vote.

The race has not been without controversy.

Mitts apologized in March for an anti-gay remark caught on video, and Stamps called for Mitts' almost $50,000 from a pro-Rahm Emanuel super-PAC to rescind its donation, the Sun-Times reported.

Mitts is also one one of only four candidates to receive money directly from Emanuel's candidate committee, with $10,000 deposited on March 31.

Stamps is the daughter of late Civil Rights activist Marion Stamps, a CPS teacher and Chicago Teachers Union supporter, according to her website. Mitts told Austin Talks that she supports charter schools and wants to open a youth center in the neighborhood if elected.

The mayor's race, as well as 18 other aldermanic elections, will be decided in runoffs Tuesday as well.

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