A coalition of Latino community groups and the League of Women Voters of Chicago filed a federal suit Thursday to delay the Chicago aldermanic elections next year until ward maps can be redrawn to reflect the increased numbers of Hispanics in the city.
The suit came as Mayor Richard Daley announced his endorsement of a Hispanic alderman seeking re-election, and as Daley himself won some support from a leader of black Democratic regulars.
The groups asked U.S. District Judge James Moran to postpone elections until the wards can be redistricted in relation to the populations shifts in the past decade, which will be revealed when the results of the 1990 census are released next year.
Filers, including the Puerto Rican Parade Committee, the Spanish Action Committee of Chicago and 11 individuals, say in their suit that February and April voting would violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because it ”dilutes the strength of Latino voters . . . depriving them of their ability to elect representatives of their choice.”
The suit suggests that the City Council redraw the ward boundaries based on the census figures that will be released on Feb. 15, 1991. That remap is required by state law to be completed by next December, the suit says.
In a March 1990 city study, the suit says, population figures show that the Hispanic population grew 25 percent between 1980 and 1988 while the black population grew 5.5 percent and whites dropped 15 percent.
In a response to the suit, Daley repeated through a spokesperson his belief that such suits are unnecessary. Daley has long maintained that the courts are certain eventually to control the outcome of revised boundaries for the city`s 50 wards.
Daley also endorsed the re-election bid of Ald. Luis Gutierrez (26th)
Thursday in a television interview, but hedged about getting involved in three other wards where aldermanic seats are held by Hispanics.
Gutierrez, whose political career began to flourish in his near Northwest Side ward with the help of the late Mayor Harold Washington in 1986, became Daley`s most visible Hispanic supporter during the 1989 mayoral campaign.
During the taping Thursday of the Mesa Rendonda panel discussion to be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on WSNS-TV (Channel 44), he said of Gutierrez, ”Why do I support him (for re-election)? . . . He works hard for his ward . . . he`s the president pro tempore of the City Council, and he`s been effective on housing issues.”
Daley`s own re-election campaign, meanwhile, received a boost when Cook County Commissioner John Stroger indicated a preference for the incumbent while withholding an outright endorsement of Daley over challenger Ald. Danny K. Davis (29th) in the Democratic mayoral primary.
Stroger said he would not make any political endorsements until after meetings by his 8th Ward Democratic organization.
However, he also said, ”I can tell you right now that I am not that open toward Danny Davis because he hasn`t been supportive of me.” Davis voted against Stroger in Stroger`s successful bid to remain chairman of the County Board`s Finance Committee.
Stroger said Thursday during the taping of ”The Reporters,” to be broadcast on WMAQ-AM radio at 9 p.m. Sunday, ”I do appreciate the work Richard Daley has done. He`s been fair in terms of the distribution of work in our community. He`s embraced the African-American contractors. He has a very good employment practice in terms of African-Americans, and he`s tried to reach out.
”But I have to talk to our organization. You don`t unilaterally go out there and commit a lot of people without getting some input.”