EAST SIDE — Ald. John Pope edged closer to challenger and front runner Susan Sadlowski Garza in the 10th Ward after the first round of absentee ballots were counted Thursday afternoon.
Just 44 votes separate the candidates looking to represent the neighborhoods of South Chicago, East Side, Hegewisch, The Bush and South Deering.
Garza maintains her lead, but the margin has shrunk. Of the 121 absentee ballots counted on Thursday afternoon, 83 votes were cast for Pope. Garza has received 38 votes via absentee ballot thus far.
Garza was confident enough in her lead on Wednesday to declare victory. At the time, Garza had 5,747 votes, or 50.4 percent, while Pope had 49.6 percent, or 5,658 votes, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Pope's campaign manager Jake Breymaier on Wednesday called Garza's victory declaration premature and said Pope had no plans to make a concession speech anytime soon.
He said absentee and provisional ballots would continue to be added until April 23.
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