Chicago is a political town, to say the least.  Mayor Daley (Senior) had an organization that practically guaranteed his plans received no opposition; “the machine.”  His son, who actually served more years in office (22), ran things pretty much the same way.

Rahm Emmanuel, former Obama Chief of Staff, is now at the helm of city politics and seems to be running a pretty well oiled machine himself.  Sometimes it seems that outcomes on most civic issues are pretty predictable. Then again, there are special issues, neighborhood issues, where it feels like you can make a difference.

Primaries were just held. I wanted to vote, but to be honest, I didn’t know much about most of the candidates let alone the judges who were up for re-appointment.  There was a hodgepodge of newcomers amid familiar surnames on the ballot.

My front door mat was decorated with flyers almost nightly for the past two weeks.     I became leery of picking up the phone between 4:00 and 9:00. It was usually a partisan automated call reminding me to vote.

At 2:00 on primary day, when the bell rang, I still had not traveled the few blocks to my polling place to vote. I was doing online research on a non-political matter and was fighting a cold. It was only a primary, I considered.  I was losing my motivation to walk the four short blocks.

As soon as the bell rang, I knew it would be someone canvassing my area, reminding me where my new polling place was. I opened the door, hoping to keep the conversation polite and short.

I did a doubletake when I saw who was ringing my doorbell. It was Nancy Schiavone, mom of an almost teen, a local lawyer, who was running for state representative against a well-connected and better-funded incumbent.

I attempted to make a joke, maybe to mask my surprise. I thought the days where candidates stumped for themselves was long-gone.

“You look just like the woman in the flyer,” I said and winked.

She gave me a 30 second introduction. I confessed she was one of the few people on the ballot I actually was prepared to vote for, largely on the basis of my former alderman Scott Waguespack’s and Congressional Representative Jan Schakowsky’s endorsements. She told me about her independent stance on many issues and concern about local schools. I thanked her for stopping by and assured her I knew where my new polling place was.

Before I closed the door and she scooted one door south, she called out, ‘Take care of your cold, now.”

No doubt about it, I rediscovered my motivation. I voted at 4:00. I was disappointed, two days later, to learn that she lost to the incumbent.  But for days, I smiled about the exchange. She was passionate and professional – and very human.

Being a candidate for anything and ringing doorbells yourself is no small thing.