McAllistair: An Infobox Series
Following his major victory four years previously, Rahm Emanuel seemed set to claim victory again in the city of Chicago. His only major contender in the non-partisan election seemed likely to be fellow Democrat; Cook County Commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García. However, with the expected Democratic rout in 2014 midterms and the hope of Illinos electing a Republican Governor, some saw this as a chance to also get the first Republican backed candidate elected as Mayor of the city in 84 years. Many Republican's were considered for the chance to run including Representative Randy Hultgren, but no-one was willing to face off against the gruelling Chicago Democratic machine. Eventually GOP strategist looked out of their traditional recruitment circles to find their silver bullet and it was at the suggestion of Senator Mark Kirk that the Illinois Republican Party approached Robert McAllistair.
McAllistair was in his early-forties and served as the Director of the Chicago Gun Control Foundation, a NGO dedicated to providing gun safety training to residents of the city and advocating for stricter gun control legislation to bring down the state's high gun death rate. While not a typical Republican, he offered the State's GOP the chance to offer the city a fiscal conservative, who's record on gun control would allow him to run on a law and order platform against Emanuel and social beliefs would connect with the heavily Democratic electorate. McAllistair initially resisted any attempts by the GOP to recruit him, however interventions from the state's Senator and his long time friend Mark Kirk made McAllistair reconsider and decide to enter the race.
While the race was strictly non-partisan, Republican's from across the State and the Country endorsed and backed McAllistair's run for the Mayoralty. While Emanuel, García and Wilson fought over traditional Democratic ground, McAllistair struck out a bi-partisan, pro-business message of; social liberalism, fiscal responsibility and common sense law and order policies. The message did strike a cord with many but the real help was that following the Republican's major victories in Illinos during the mid-terms, the full Republican state apparatus refocused on the Mayoral race and newly elected Governor Bruce Rauner appeared on a near constant basis with McAllistair across the city.
The young image and positive image of McAllistair attracted many democratic unwilling to vote for Emanuel, and the revelation of McAllistair admitting to an audience member during a Mayoral debate that he was in fact gay attracted many young and social liberal supporters to his campaign when the admission went viral on social media. On the run up to election day polls had Emanuel in a clear lead with a very close race for second between García and McAllistair. On election day, as expected, there was no definitive winner meaning there would have to be a runoff election and after a recount of the ballots McAllistair secured his place in the run off election against Emanuel.
Despite leading in the polls during the previous election period, during the runoff campaign, scandals plagued Emanuel and directly contrasted him against the 'whiter and white' image of McAllistair. As it neared runoff day polls showed it to be an extremely close election and Emanuel challanged McAllistair to a last minute debate. The debate gandered national attention, being held 4 days before polling, and it was generally considered that McAllistair won the debate giving him positive nationwide coverage. Come runoff day the unthinkable occurred; Emanuel was voted out of office thanks to a coalition of Republicans, moderate Democrats and young liberal supporters of García that refused to vote for Emanuel, instead plumping for McAllistair. For the first time in 84 years, a candidate backed by the Republican party would hold the Mayoral office in the City of Chicago.