Mayor Richard M. Daley dropped the bomb at a routine news conference at City Hall on Tuesday. With no prelude or fanfare, Mr. Daley announced that he would not seek re-election when his term expires next year.
“The Daley legacy is political continuity, economic development and revitalization,” said Kent Redfield, a political scientist from the University of Illinois, Springfield. “Having stability and continuity in local government has been a big plus in terms of developments, and there’s been a strong relationship with big business and big labor. It was certainly also a hallmark of the first Daley administration, being able to bring economic interests together.”
Here in Chicago, the news of Mr. Daley’s imminent departure was greeted with near universal shock. “Oh, my God! We know we knew it would happen someday, but I certainly didn’t wake up thinking it would be today,” Ms. Canary said. “It’s very exciting and a little scary.”
Professor Redfield added, “It is remarkable when you see people walk away from power.”
Redfield's comments were featured in a September 8, 2010, article in the New York Times.
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