The Chicago Teachers Union, which had clashed repeatedly with current mayor Rahm Emanuel, is throwing its support behind Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for the city鈥檚 next mayor.
That鈥檚 according
The teachers鈥� union said on Wednesday that it planned to make a joint endorsement Thursday with two other public-sector unions, SEIU Healthcare Illinois and SEIU Local 73. The endorsement means the union can officially use its war chest to support Preckwinkle, who is also a former high school history teacher.
Emanuel announced in September . During his tenure, he repeatedly clashed with the teachers鈥� union, especially its former president, Karen Lewis, over school closures, the teacher charter schools, and general school funding. The seven-day 2012 Chicago Teachers Union strike happened on Emanuel鈥檚 watch.
Emanuel was forced into a run-off in the 2015 mayoral contest
The field to replace Emanuel in the Feb. 26 contest is crowded, with the Tribune counting
Many of the candidates have direct connections to the city鈥檚 school system. Among them: Paul Vallas, the former city budget director and CEO of the city鈥檚 public schools; Gery Chico, a former school board president; and La Shawn Ford, a real estate developer and former CPS teacher.
Troy LaRaviere, a former elementary school principal and one of Emanuel鈥檚 fiercest critics, dropped out of the race, according to the Tribune.
Photo caption: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks at a news conference in Chicago on Jan. 26, 2012. --M. Spencer Green/AP
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