Wacky Race to Fill Emanuel's Seat Wide Open

Quigley cruises to victory in Illinois' 5th district

(NEWSER) - Mike Quigley has cruised to victory in the special election for Rahm Emanuel's old seat in Congress, the Chicago Tribune reports. The reform-minded Democrat had 70% of the vote in Illinois' 5th congressional district, a heavily Democratic area on Chicago's north side, with 94% of precincts reporting. Quigley plans to head to Washington as soon as tomorrow to prepare to take office. More»

Without cash or unions, Quigley triumphs in crowded race

(NEWSER) - An Illinois official who ran on a message of reform won yesterday's Democratic primary to fill Rahm Emanuel's vacant seat in Congress, reports the Chicago Tribune. Mike Quigley, commissioner of Cook County, took 22% of the vote in a crowded field despite lacking both campaign cash and union support. "I'm in shock," Quigley said at his acceptance speech. More»

(NEWSER) - Rahm Emanuel’s transformation from Congressman to White House chief of staff is almost complete, the Chicago Tribune reports. Emanuel sent a letter to Gov. Rod Blagojevich today stating his intention to resign his seat on Friday. Blagojevich has no power to appoint Emanuel’s successor; rather, he has 5 days to set a date for a special election, which must occur within 115 days of the creation of the vacancy. More»

Attorney asks state panel subpoena Emanuel, Jarrett

(NEWSER) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attorney wants the state’s impeachment panel to subpoena two of Barack Obama’s top aides, Politico reports. Ed Genson is not alleging that Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett did anything wrong, but rather that their testimony would help prove that Blagojevich’s taped conversations about filling Obama’s Senate seat involved much talk but no illegal action. More»

Emanuel was in touch, but nobody knew Illinois governor was trying to sell Senate seat

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's camp pronounced itself clean as a whistle today with regard to the Rod Blagojevich scandal, NBC reports. The president-elect’s team released an internal report saying that no one on the staff, including Obama himself, had any inappropriate contact with the Illinois governor as he considered appointments to fill Obama’s Senate seat. Federal investigators interviewed Obama, Rahm Emanuel, and adviser Valerie Jarrett, the report notes. More»