Bernard Stone - 1973 Campaign For Alderman

1973 Campaign For Alderman

On January 29, 1973 the Supreme Court of Illinois appointed Alderman Sperling to fill a vacancy as Cook County Circuit Court judge. The Chicago City Council called a special election for June 5, 1973 to fill vacant City Council seats, including the 50th ward alderman seat. Stone was an employee in the office of Cook County Sheriff Richard Elrod. Stone was vice president of the 50th ward regular Democratic organization. Stone was endorsed by the 50th ward regular Democratic organization for alderman. Stone was one of five candidates who filed to finish Sperling's term. Another candidate, independent Theodore Berland, was a medical writer and nationally recognized anti-noise activist who was chiefly responsible for Chicago's anti-noise ordinance. Berland was endorsed by the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI), and by independent aldermen including Leon Despres, Seymour Simon, and John Hoellen . Another independent candidate, attorney Ray Jeffrey Cohen, was endorsed by the Independent Precinct Organization (IPO). Stone organized the "Concerned Citizens of the 50th Ward" to counter neighboring Lincolnwood's opposition to a bridge over the North Shore Channel at Pratt Avenue, which Stone called a "necessity" for the 50th ward. No candidate received a majority of the vote, and so a run-off was called for July 3, 1973 between the top two vote-getters, Stone (47%) and Berland (27%).

Berland picked up additional endorsements, including all seven independent alderman, including William Cousins, Anna Langford, and Dick Simpson, as well as the endorsements of State Senator Dawn Clark Netsch and State Representative James Houlihan, and the Chicago Tribune. With a turnout of about 53% of registered voters in the 50th ward, Stone defeated Berland 12,882 to 10,958, recapturing the 50th ward for the regular Democratic organization for the first time since 1955.