No runoff in 33rd Ward, election board says — but challenger disputes official tally

Ald. Deb Mell has won her 33rd Ward race, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners announced on Thursday.

But challenger Tim Meegan has refused to concede.

His campaign said it will continue to pursue the cause in court.

“I am committed to a runoff election April 7 because I believe that’s what the people of the 33rd Ward wanted when they went to the polls on Feb. 24. I’m hopeful the court will validate their voice quickly,” Meegan said in a statement issued by his campaign.

“The campaign disputes the board’s finding that votes cast on Feb. 24 not be counted in the calculation of whether entrenched machine Ald. Deb Mell reached the required 50 percent,” according to the campaign’s statement.

A call to the Mell campaign seeking comment on Thursday was not immediately returned.

In the hotly contested race, Mell had 50.21 percent to Tim Meegan’s 34.01 percent, including all absentee and provisional ballots, according to Jim Allen, Board of Elections spokesman.

To win outright on Feb. 24, candidates needed a majority, often described as getting at least 50 percent plus 1 vote. Mell fell short — until the absentee votes were counted days later.

Last week, Meegan — a Chicago Public Schools teacher who is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union — filed the required legal paperwork seeking a full recount of all ballots cast in the Northwest Side ward.

In his lawsuit, Meegan claimed “machine dirty tricks.”
 Nick Burt, a spokesman for Meegan’s campaign, said the numbers aren’t making a dent in their campaign efforts.

“We’re very much going ahead with the campaign and assuming a runoff on April 7. . . . There’s still a suit pending, and we’re confident in a favorable result,” Burt said in an email.

Burt said at least 50 volunteers have come out over two weekends, handing out materials to voters.

“We’re going to do whatever we can to give the 33rd Ward the first runoff it’s seen in many decades,” Burt said.

Meegan’s suit made dozens of voter fraud allegations, including that some voters were “impermissibly electioneered” to vote for Mell at the polling places by the placement of palm cards in the voting booths, and by supporters and signs within the 100-foot protective line beyond which campaigning is forbidden.

The lengthy allegations are customary in recount petitions, the job being to provide as much information as possible to try to get the court to overturn the election and conduct a recount.

The suit seeks an expedited schedule for a hearing, prior to April 7, when the runoff election would take place.

Mell on Tuesday had said she was “happy with the final tally,” and that her lawyers are continuing to work on Meegan’s suit.