Moving up politically? Or not enough Latinos to run for political office?

It seems the people who were trying to get Jesus Garcia to give up the seat in Congress he’s likely to win a few weeks from now to run for mayor have a new focal point for their ethnically-oriented political efforts.

Should Mendoza be eager to return to City Hall in '19?

They’re now trying to get Susana Mendoza, the Illinois comptroller who’s trying to win re-election to a full term of her own come Nov. 6, to seek the mayor’s post come the municipal elections to be held Feb. 26.

IT LITERALLY IS the same Latino activists who were trying to persuade Garcia to move up(?) to Chicago mayor who are now behind the effort to get Mendoza – who once used to be Chicago city clerk before becoming the woman in charge of Illinois state finances – to want to give up all this Springfield nonsense and return to City Hall.

Which I know some people regard as the focal point for all politics that matters!

Or could just be the point that some people with lesser ambitions think is the place where government has an impact on the daily lives of people. Either that, or they think the idea of having to live in Springfield (state constitutional officers such as comptroller are required to maintain a mailing address in the state’s capital city) is so dreadful.

Anyway, we literally now have people out in the streets of Chicago circulating the nominating petitions gathering signatures of support so that Mendoza could run for mayor in next year’s election cycle – should she decide to do so.

GARCIA: Headed for D.C. -- NOT City Hall

FOR THE RECORD, Mendoza has been consistent in saying she’s focusing her attention on winning election to the post she has held for the past couple of years. The one she won originally in a special election against Leslie Munger – the Republican woman whom Bruce Rauner appointed to the state post when the elected official, Judy Baar Topinka, died just after being elected in 2016.

There are those Republican-type who feel the comptroller’s post was “stolen” from them, and they’d love to be able to claim that Mendoza is more interested in running for another government office, rather than focus on the post she now has.

Which is why Mendoza won’t say publicly she’s interested in running for mayor – she’d be giving her GOP opponent, Darlene Senger, a campaign issue.

SENGER: Can she stand in Mendoza's way?

Although there’s a part of me that really would want to see Mendoza finish out this four-year term for the office she’s now seeking.

YES, I HAVE an interest in Latino political empowerment. I’d enjoy seeing more Latino persons running for government office, and winning. Having the Chicago mayoral seat on a list of positions held by Latinos would be significant.

Particularly since it would offend the sensibilities of those kinds of people inclined to want to take Donald Trump seriously every time the president uses his Twitter account to engage in another one of his nit-wit rants.

But it almost seems like we’re inclined to keep re-using the same couple of names over and over again to have Latino officials run for political posts. When the goal for people interested in Latino political empowerment ought to be to have MORE Latinos in government offices.

It shouldn’t be about getting a couple of people already elected into as high-ranking of posts as possible! That seems rather limiting, and would play into the hands nativists who are determined to think Latinos “don’t belong.”

YES, I’D RATHER see Jesus Garcia, a Mexican-born naturalized U.S, citizen work the Halls of Capitol Hill and have an influence on our federal government.

While Mendoza, a Chicago-born and suburban Bolingbrook-raised daughter of Mexican immigrants, perhaps could someday be Illinois’ first female governor (she’s only 46), and perhaps be the one who frustrates the Republican desires to have an Illinois predominated by the 96 counties that, at best, comprise one-third of the state’s population.

Activists ought to try to grow the ranks of Latino government officials – or else they could wind up with a Chicago run by Latinos that has its every desire overruled by hostile federal and state political interests.

Besides, Mendoza has youth in her favor and could still get that future run for mayor – where (based on the video from her latest campaign ad) she could be the mayor who can handle a “real” football better than anybody playing professionally for the Chicago Fire.

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