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His first term in office was characterized by Council Wars , in which the City Council opposition, led by "The Eddies" -- Finance Chair Edward Burke , Parks Commissioner Edmund Kelly , and "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak (pronounced as if there were a vowel after the "V"), was supported by States Atty. Richard M. Daley, Cong. William Lipinski, Cong. Dan Rostenkowski, and other powerful Democratic committeemen, who prevented him from making appointments of reform nominees to boards and commissions, and refused to enact his reform legislation.
But Washington, who had been a capable legislator throughout most of his career (State Rep, State Senator and U.S. Congressman) confronted the 29-21 majority aligned against him in City Council and used his legislative skills to rule by veto. Personal compunctions and, where those were faint, neighborhood pressure, encouraged all the African-American aldermen, and several Latino and white liberal aldermen, to support him despite pressure from The Eddies. "The 29," as the opposition were called, could never muster the 30 votes needed for a veto override. Meanwhile, in the courts Washington kept the pressure on to reverse the unfair redistricting of City Council wards that white Democrats had perpetrated during the Byrne years, and when special elections were ordered in 1986, victorious Washington-backed candidates gave him the 25-25 split he needed. His vote as chair of City Council enabled him to break the deadlock and enact his programs.
He was reelected in 1987, and his second term went smoother. Vrdolyak, a former Democratic heavyweight, became a Republican. Kelly was removed from his powerful Parks post, and Burke lost his power as Finance Chair. On November 25, 1987, Harold Washington died of a heart attack in his office.
Washington was buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. Harold Washington College in Chicago was named for the mayor, as was the new central library of the Chicago Public Library system.
Long before Washington ran for mayor, he was convicted for tax evasionThis article contrasts tax evasion tax avoidance and tax mitigation . Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, firms, trusts and other entities to evade the payment of taxes by breaking the law''. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers d, and also disbarred for accepting payment from a client and then refusing to provide his services to the client.
| Preceeded by: Jane Byrne | Mayors of ChicagoMayors of Chicago, Illinois, Current or Previous The mayoral term in Chicago was two years from 1837 through 1907, at which time it was lengthened to four years. Until 1861, municipal elections were held in March. In that year, legislation changed them to | Succeeded by: David Duvall OrrDavid Duvall Orr (born: October 4, 1944) served as interim mayor of Chicago, Illinois ( 1987) for the Democratic Party following the death of Harold Washington. Orr, David Orr, David Orr, David. |
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