The votes have been tallied in the Democratic primary in the Fifth Congressional District and the winner is — Jay Stone.
No, Stone, the son of Alderman Berny Stone, wasn’t on the ballot. But he won my predict-the-outcome contest.
Over the last few weeks I asked a bunch of political types to predict who would finish in the top six.
Stone picked the top three: the winner, Cook County commissioner Mike Quigley, and state rep John Fritchey and state rep Sara Feigenholtz in second and third place respectively.
If you recall, Stone also did really well in predicting the 2007 aldermanic elections. He may be a political reformer, but the guy obviously learned a thing or two about Chicago politics from his old man.
North-side independent activist Suzanne Elder came in second; she also picked the top three, but Stone wins by doing better in predicting four through six.
As for me, it was all downhill after I let a certain north-side alderman talk me into predicting Feigenholtz on the grounds that “the women are going to vote for the woman.” Thanks for nothing, big fella. I’d tell you his name, but off the record means off the record.
At least I did better than northwest-side maverick Frank Coconate. He predicted Alderman Patrick O’Connor would win (he actually finished fifth), and he said Quigley would come in fourth. Worse, he predicted Cary Capparelli would come in fifth. Capparelli finished 11th in a 12-candidate race.
“Tell Stone congratulations,” said Coconate, when I called to rub it in. “The Machine lost — that’s all that matters.”