Winners And Loser's From Tuesday's Election
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There were plenty of winners and losers after Tuesday's election, including many who weren't even on the ballot.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine takes a look at the kingmakers and collateral damage.
They're the people who hitched their wagons to the right or wrong candidates, or the horses who pulled the candidates' wagons to victory. Now, they are either sitting pretty or in pretty tough spots.
Standing head and shoulders above all the others: Karen Lewis and the Chicago Teachers Union, who not only handpicked Chuy Garcia, but also forced three of the mayor's City Council allies into runoffs while spearheading the non-binding but overwhelmingly successful elected School Board referendum.
The mayor's people though are playing down Lewis' impact.
"I thought from the beginning a runoff was a good possibility," said political strategist David Axelrod. "It is very tough to win an absolute majority in a multi-candidate race."
Other winners: Black voters who showed their muscle by reducing their support for the mayor by anywhere from 10 to 23 percent from what it was four years ago.
Also in the winner's circle: the progressive caucus: independent aldermen targeted by the mayor. Five of them were re-elected. Two new members joined the fold and three others forced runoffs against incumbents backed by Emanuel.
Losers include President Barack Obama, a two-time loser over the past three months, first failing with Pat Quinn and now the mayor.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez, a strong Emanuel supporter now faced with opposing a Latino candidate.
"My politics have always been those of making sure that people vote for the best candidate, that people look at the policies and who presents the best vision for the city of Chicago and the nation regardless of your ethnicity," Gutierrez said.
Also losing: money, which the Beatles sang, can't buy you love. The mayor's $13.6 million warchest didn't buy him nearly enough, though his family still backs him.
"Rahm won! He's number one in the poll! What are you talking about?" said Zeke Emanuel, Rahm's brother.
The mayor's brother is known to be outspoken, in fact as soon as the campaign saw Levine speaking with him, they rushed in and pulled him away. But what he said was true, his brother was the leading vote getter Tuesday night. The question is whether he'll be the winner April 7.
