(The Grio) — Of the dozen or so candidates running for mayor of Chicago, one of them dropped out of the race. And his decision was a prudent one. James Meeks (D-Ill.), Illinois state senator and black megachurch pastor, announced the day before Christmas Eve that he was withdrawing from the mayoral race. The reason he […]
(Politics365) – Keeping with his penchant for polemic flare and independent style, the Rev. State Sen. James Meeks abruptly pulled out of his quixotic bid for Mayor of Chicago. The move comes after a confluence of events pulled the firebrand Illinois state legislator into the hot burn of a spotlight, something he is no stranger […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — State Sen. James Meeks has dropped out of the mayoral race. In an e-mail sent to media Thursday afternoon, Meeks — who also heads Salem Baptist Church on the South Side — said he was ending his campaign. Meeks met with mayoral challengers U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and former U.S. Senator […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — Congressman Danny Davis, former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and State Sen. James Meeks met privately Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to unite behind a consensus black candidate for mayor. One day before today’s deadline to drop out of the race, the three top African-Americans in the race tried once again […]
(Politics365) — The battle for Mayor in the windy and very chilly city of Chicago has been heating up in recent weeks as the campaign rhetoric is noticeably more racial in edge. Many political junkies watching the closely contested race were mainly focused on the residency eligibility dispute involving former White House Chief of Staff […]
(Huffington Post) — “There are no newspaper stories…nobody is going into his days at Freddie Mac or his days in the White House…his days keeping African American leaders from out of the White House,” Meeks said on the air. “He had a role in keeping African Americans out of the White House. All of a […]
By Brittany Hutson State Senator James Meeks is no stranger to racial controversy. The reverend, who is currently running for mayor of Chicago, has been caught with his foot in his mouth in the past. Several years ago, he gave a sermon at his Salem Baptist Church in which he compared Mayor Richard Daley to […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — Mayoral challenger James Meeks scrambled Thursday to put out a political fire touched off by his suggestion that only African Americans should be eligible for city contracts set aside for minorities and women. Meeks made the statement on Wednesday during an interview on WVON-AM (1690). It happened during a discussion of […]
(Chicago Tribune) — Pacing as he dabbed his sweaty face with a towel, the Rev.James T. Meeks fired up his large crowd with an energetic rant about City Hall’s shortcomings — poor garbage pickup, red-light cameras, underperforming public schools. “It’s time for us to stand up. It’s time for us to get up. It’s time […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — Mayoral candidate James Meeks tried some outreach to Chicago’s gay community Wednesday, bringing his “50 wards in 50 days” tour to Ann Sather’s restaurant in Lake View. “I’m reaching out today,” Meeks said outside the restaurant, which is owned by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), the City Council’s first openly gay alderman. […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — Mayoral candidate James Meeks emphasized his commitment to Chicago’s neighborhoods Sunday with the rollout of 50 Wards in 50 Days. Meeks said he will visit every city ward to highlight the importance of small business growth and neighborhood safety. “I want to make sure people in every ward know that City […]
(Chicago Sun Times) — Will Sen. James Meeks’ vote against civil unions for gays hurt his chances of becoming mayor? Gay rights activists say yes. Conservatives say it will help the minister and state senator. Meeks says he doesn’t care. This was not a political decision,” Meeks said in in interview at his campaign headquarters. […]