Going for the ethnic vote

Dick Simpson, Dawn Clark Netsch, Jim Houlihan, Bernard Weisberg, Bill Singer, and Bruce Douglas were among the Independents who enjoyed success on Chicago’s north side lakefront in the late 60s and early 70s.

They won by snaring the support of many Jewish voters who had often followed the recommendations of the local Democratic Party Machine.

In 1974, The Machine tried to win back those voters by slating Jewish candidates to oppose Netsch and Houlihan. While they made slight inroads in the Jewish precincts, they lost in some non-Jewish areas, as many voters there did not want to support Jewish candidates.

The Machine chose to “play” the ethnic vote rather than back more Independent-minded candidates. And it didn’t work.