Miguel Del Valle, Chicago Mayor Candidate: 'We Cannot Have A Polarized City' --Huffington Post
From Huffington Post, 1.31.2011
By William Guzzardi
Relative to his opponents in the Chicago mayoral race, Miguel del Valle is shy on cash, lacking in clout and clearly the underdog. But that's never stopped him before.
In 1986, he ran against incumbent State Senator Edward Nedza, who had the money and the organization and the powerful backers, including the 31st Ward organization and legendary congressman Dan Rostenkowski.
"They just didn't take my candidacy very seriously," del Valle remembers with a chuckle. "I started out with $350 out of my own pocket, but we won."
Four years later, such heavy hitters as Joe Berrios, Richard Mell and Luis Gutierrez lined up to back his primary opponent. Del Valle won again. For twenty years, he served as a voice of the working class in Springfield -- and as the first Latino state senator in Illinois history.
His transition from state to city politics happened through a move that he readily admits was fueled by ambition.