Liberal group endorses against Rahm Emanuel in Chicago

The liberal group MoveOn on Thursday endorsed the progressive challenger to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, in a mark of divisions within the Democratic Party. 

MoveOn endorsed Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Cook County commissioner, over Emanuel, who is President Obama’s former White House chief of staff. 

{mosads}The group’s executive director, Ilya Sheyman, said Garcia will bring “real progressive change” to Chicago.

“Incumbent Rahm Emanuel spent his first term looking out for corporate interests and those at the very top — at the expense of students, working people, and neighborhoods across Chicago,” Sheyman added. 

The statement uses much of the same populist language that MoveOn is also using to urge Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to challenge Hillary Clinton for president. 

MoveOn said the endorsement took place after its Chicago members voted, with Garcia winning 57 percent and Emanuel just 20 percent. 

At the center of the race are Emanuel’s moves on education. His clashes with the teachers union over reforms such as a longer school day and tying pay in part to student test scores led to a strike in 2012. 

Education reform has also divided Democrats on a national level, with the American Federation of Teachers calling on Obama’s Education secretary, Arne Duncan, to resign over similar policy disputes. 

The AFT and the Chicago Teachers Union have also endorsed Garcia. 

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), a progressive known nationally for his immigration reform advocacy, is backing Emanuel, while citing the mayor’s work on immigration issues. 

Emanuel is the favorite in the election. A poll from David Binder Research last month found Emanuel at 44 percent, compared to Garcia at 16 percent and Alderman Bob Fioretti at 15 percent. 

However, if Emanuel wins less than 50 percent of the vote in the Feb. 27 election, he is forced into a runoff in April.