The Latest Breaking News from Ashlee Rezin

From assembling a staff and cabinet to speeding up police hiring and devising a plan to stop the usual summer surge of violent crime, the new mayor has his work cut out for him. No wonder so many would-be contenders took a pass.

Ald. James Gardiner received more than 55% of the votes in his race, leading attorney Megan Mathias to concede. In the 30th Ward, Ruth Cruz garnered over 51% of the vote against Jessica Gutiérrez, though mail-in ballots still need to be tallied.

About 40 vendors got a six-week extension Monday afternoon, but most already had packed up. “They waited until the last moment to tell us,” said Griselda Estrada, standing in the store where she’s worked nearly 30 years.

Meza, the first Latina to serve as the city’s chief attorney, told her staff another job opportunity was too great to pass up, sources say.

Advocate Health is relaxing its pandemic rules on mask-wearing and patient visitation, but many hospitals are keeping their mask mandates.

Ald. Monique Scott, who was appointed to the role less than a year ago, is facing Creative Scott, a small-business owner and political outsider. While their histories differ, the two candidates share more than the same last name.

With former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson’s conviction, it may seem that the Daley family’s grip on the 11th Ward is slipping. But despite boundary and demographic changes in the ward, the Daleys and their allies are still exerting influence.

Residents in both wards want stronger public safety and more community investment. And each race features some political newcomers with last names that might ring a bell with some residents.

Ald. Jim Gardiner did not respond to the Sun-Times’ requests for an interview about his runoff campaign. Challenger Megan Mathias said many residents complained to her about Gardiner’s inaccessibility but hesitated to donate to her campaign because they “feared retaliation.”