State lawmaker charged with bribery cruising to primary victory

Updated 3-21-12

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-primary-over-democrats-move-to-oust-lawmaker-charged-with-bribery-20120321,0,240570.story

State lawmaker charged with bribery cruising to primary victory


By Monique Garcia and Ray Long
Tribune reporters
8:20 PM CDT, March 20, 2012

An Illinois lawmaker from Chicago charged with bribery a week ago appeared on his way to a primary election victory tonight on Chicago's West Side.

Rookie state Rep. Rep. Derrick Smith was accused of taking a $7,000 cash bribe in a federal sting caught on an undercover recording. But Democratic leaders showed no sign of backing away from him in the days before the election.

Smith's opponent, Tom Swiss, a former ranking member of the Cook County Republican Party, conceeded he lost the race less than an hour after polls closed tonight. With more than half the unofficial vote totals in, Smith was leading with 76 percent compared to 32 percent for Swiss.

Swiss blamed his totals on low voter turnout and the power of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political organization.

“It’s mathematically impossible (to win),” Swiss told the Tribune.“My opponent was arrested by the FBI last week, but if you’re not on Madigan’s team, you’ll have a hard time.”

Madigan poured more than $60,000 into Smith's race before the arrest. Democratic leaders are expected to pressure Smith to resign and appoint a new candidate for the fall campaign.

Smith has not commented since he was accused by federal prosecutors of taking what was presented as a payoff from a day care operator who had wanted him to write an official letter supporting a bid for a $50,000 state grant.

The new maps of House and Senate districts engineered by Madigan created the biggest legislative primary election in 10 years. The map is tilted so heavily toward Democrats they are all but ensured November general election victories that could set the course to control the legislature for the next decade.

Even before primary results rolled in, some sitting Republican lawmakers were bound to lose in DuPage County, casualties of the Democratic-drawn legislative districts.

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