Laurino cruises to victory in 39th Ward race

Alderman Margaret Laurino easily defeated challenger Mary Hunter in the 39th Ward aldermanic race on Feb. 22.

With 91 percent of the ward’s precincts reporting, Laurino had 7,735 votes compared to 2,392 for Hunter, according to unofficial figures from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. By winning more than half of the vote, Laurino, with about 76 percent of the total, was able to avoid a runoff in April.

Laurino has held the seat since 1994, when she was appointed to replace her retiring father, Anthony Laurino, whose political career at the time was marred in controversy. During the campaign, Laurino said that one of her top goals was to make sure that several projects are completed, including the opening of a Thai cultural center and restaurant inside the former 17th (Albany Park) Police District station, 4461 N. Pulaski Road.

Hunter, who said that she entered the race because of the need for political reform in the ward and throughout the city, had a long legal fight to remain on the ballot. Supporters of Laurino filed challenges to the nominating petitions of Hunter, Matthew Robertson and Lyndon Johnson, and only Hunter, a financial and mortgage default consultant, survived.

Robertson, who has served on the Palmer School Local School Council, ran a write-in campaign, but those figures were not immediately available from the elections board Tuesday night.