“The Three Stooges” have been resurrected in the Democratic
primary for state senator in the Northwest Side 20th District.
But instead of Moe, Larry and Curly, the three alleged buffoons are
Rich, Iris and Rod. State Representative Rich Bradley (D-40) is
challenging State Senator Iris Martinez (D-20), and the antics of
Governor Rod Blagojevich have emerged as the central issue.

A “stooge” is defined as an underling to another, and is a term
of contempt. Martinez holds Bradley in contempt, deeming him a Madigan
Monkey, stooge of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, and do-nothing
legislator. Bradley holds Martinez in contempt, deeming her a Rod
Rooter, stooge of Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, and slavish
supporter of the governor. She “is generally supportive” of
Blagojevich, Martinez admits.

Bradley switched to the Senate race after Deborah Mell, daughter of Alderman Dick Mell (33rd), and sister-in-law of the governor, told her dad she wanted his House seat. Bradley’s contempt for Blagojevich is palpable: ”Illinois has a dysfunctional state government and a
dysfunctional governor. There is paralysis in Springfield, and Rod
Blagojevich is to blame.” Bradley adds: “the Illinois Senate marches in lockstep with the governor, and Martinez is one of his marchers.” Of course, to Bradley, Madigan is Mr. Wonderful, and bears no blame.
“Bradley is running against me because Dick Mell told him
to make room for his daughter,” said Martinez. “Rich always does what he’s told by Madigan and by everybody else.”

“Iris is spineless.” Bradley retorts, somewhat lamely, adding that he made a real life choice and now wants to be a senator. ”We need senators who are independent of the governor. “

The Senate has a 37–22 Democratic majority and Jones can usually muster the 36 votes (or 60 percent majority) needed to pass
bills in overtime sessions. “I will work to build a bi-partisan,
anti-Blagojevich majority,” promised Bradley.

Adds Bradley: “I could have kept my (House) seat if I ran.”

Also running is Carlos Guevara, on leave as chief-of-staff to
Alderman Ariel Reboyras (30th), who Martinez called a “hatchet man for Bradley. Guevara has sent out mailings ripping Martinez for joining with
Blagojevich and Jones to eliminate the Cease Fire program and cut
after-school funding.

“Voters are confused, especially Hispanic voters,” observed
Martinez. “They know I have been active in the community. They know I have been a productive legislator. They don’t understand why I am now the target of lies and slurs.”

The senator said she was a leader in passing bills relating to health insurance, affordable housing, women’s issues, day care and the environment. “He (Bradley) has not passed a single bill
this session.”

The 20th District, which extends from Argyle to Bloomingdale,
Between Damen and Long, contains all or parts of nine Chicago wards. According to Bradley, it has a Hispanic population of 48 percent, and a Hispanic voter pool of 43 percent. According to Martinez, it has a Hispanic population of 65 percent, and a Hispanic voter pool of 50 percent. But the area is slowly gentrifying, particularly the east end between Damen and California, and the north end around Albany Park. Upscale condominium developments and conversions are pushing out Hispanic families.

The district has 137 precincts, and Bradley claims that he has
“workers four deep” in each of them. The bulk of the committeemen
have endorsed Bradley, including the 33rd ward’s Mell (30 precincts), the 39th ward’s Randy Barnette (12 precincts), the 30th ward’s
Reboyras (12 recincts), the 31st ward’s Joe Berrios (27 precincts), and the 38th ward’s Patty Jo Cullerton (two precincts).

Berrios is the county Democratic chairman, and is running for re-election to the Board of eview; his daughter, Toni Berrios, is the state representative from the south half of the 20th District. Bradley said Joe Berrios will flood his ward and adjacent wards with money and manpower, pushing a Berrios-Berrios-Bradley slate. In addition, the remnants of the Hispanic Democratic Organization are now backing Bradley, due to the fact that Jones chose Martinez for an assistant majority leader post over pro-HDO State Senator Tony Munoz (D-1).

Only three committeemen are supporting Martinez: The 35th ward’s
Rey Colon (28 precincts), the 26th ward’s Roberto Maldonado (four
precincts), and the 1st ward’s Manny Flores (16 precincts). “She has no no ground troops,” said Bradley, She is relying solely on mailings,
which are being paid for by Jones.” Bradley expects to spend around
$300,000, and Martinez a like amount.

In 2007, Mell tried to oust Colon as alderman, and poured 33rd ward workers into the 35th Ward on behalf of Vilma Colom. Their technique was to contact voters early, ask what city services they needed, satisfy those requests, then come back, take credit, and get their vote. It didn’t work. Colon won with 62.3 percent. Bradley admits he is employing the same strategy.

Deborah Mell said she is “making no endorsements” in the senate
race.

Martinez, first elected in 2002, is a Latina. She was the
Beneficiary of Mayor Daley’s Hispanic Democratic Organization, and Reboyras ran her campaign, beating then-Alderman Mike Wojcik (30th), who
Reboyras succeeded in 2003. In a turnout of 22,499, Martinez thumped
Wojcik by 13,839–8,660 (61.8 percent). This was the same primary in
which Blagojevich was running for governor, and Mell backed Martinez.
She won the 33rd and 31st Wards by 2–1, the 35th by 3–1, the 26th by
4–1, and lost the 30th by 2–1.

Bradley was once Wojcik’s aldermanic chief-of-staff, and is
Stressing his Hispanic heritage: His mother is a Mexican-American. A state representative since 1996, he has been the subject of media stories about the Bradley clan’s propensity to secure a plenitude of public sector jobs. Bradley is currently an assistant general superintendent of the Chicago department of streets and sanitation. His brother Sean is a ward superintendent, and brother Scott is a city laborer. His wife Cynthia Santos is a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner, and has a second job with the Secretary of State. His mother is on his wife’s payroll.” He hasn’t gotten a single
person, family or otherwise, hired since he’s been a state representative, protested Bradley.

“I’m a full-time legislator,” said Martinez. “He (Bradley)
and his family are full-time payrollers.

The outlook: The 2002 primary was all about precinct clout. But key
Committeemen—Mell, Berrios, Reboyras, Barnette who delivered
for Martinez then are backing Bradley now. To win, Bradley needs to get 65 percent of the vote in his House district, and to hold districtwide
turnout under 20,000. It was 22,499 in 2002, and 19,651 in 2004. To
win, Martinez needs to spark an outpouring of Hispanic voter (and
especially Latina) outrage, hope that the Clinton-Obama presidential
contest drives voter turnout to 25,000, and keep Bradley under 55
percent in his base.

My prediction: Guevara will get five percent, and Bradley will top
Martinez by 48–47 percent.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District: This obscure agency, with
an annual budget of $800 million and 2,100 employees, handles treatment
and disposal of effluent, solid waste and flood runoff in Cook County.
The MWRD is in the final stage of its 100-mile, $3.2 billion Deep
Tunnel project. Nine commissioners are elected (three every two years)
to oversee operations, but the president (one of the commissioners) and
general superintendent are in charge. The MWRD’s vast operations, and
network of contractors, are a fertile source of contributions to local
Democrats.

Qualifications and credentials matter not in primaries. Ballot
position (first and last), gender, Irish surnames, race, and party
endorsements definitely do. In 12 primaries since 1984, five incumbents
have lost, and 12 non-slated candidates have won. Voters just don’t
know the candidates.

The 2008 field includes nine candidates, with three incumbents:
Kathy Meany, Frank Avila and Cynthia Santos, Bradley’s wife. The
party-endorsed slate consists of Meany, Avila and attorney Dean
Maragos, a major party donor. Santos was dumped because she did not
attend slatemaking. According to Bradley, Mell and most of Madigan’s
allies are backing his wife. Diane Jones, who is out of State
Senator Rickey Hendon’s organization, is first on the ballot, and is
backed by most black committeemen. Jones will be on their Election Day
precinct palm cards, along with Obama and Howard Brookins (for
states attorney). Two other blacks are running are Ron Oliver and Derrick Stinson but have little support. Also on the ballot are Mariyana Spyropoulos and Matt Podgorski.

The outlook: Being female, first and black means Jones wins. Being female, slated and Irish-surnamed means Meany wins. Avila, Maragos and Santos are bunched 4–5-6 on the ballot. Give only a slight edge to Avila for the third spot, but any of the three could triumph.

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Russ Stewart is a regular political columnist for The Chicago Daily Observer and a member of its editorial board.