Word: epton
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...after the election, Washington was host at a unity luncheon. He was flanked by the two rivals he had defeated in the Democratic primary last February: Jane Byrne, the departing mayor, and Richard Daley, son of the legendary boss. Bernard Epton, last Tuesday's Republican loser, skulked off to Florida, leaving his brother to fill in at the lunch. Epton's lack of grace seemed to diminish rather than heighten the tensions: at that moment, it was hard to argue that the better man had lost...
...evident in the campaign. Across the city, the turnout was a record: almost 80% of those registered cast ballots. Washington carried many black wards by more than 95% of the vote. In the 24th Ward on the heavily black West Side, for example, he tallied 24,259 votes to Epton's 129. He handily won all 19 of the city's black wards and took almost 60% of the Hispanic vote...
Opponents called Washington a "criminal" and a "felon" because of his 1972 conviction for not filing tax returns Washington himself had made vague allegations about Epton's story of psychological treatment. The bitterness did not end with the voting. Epton refused to attend Washington's Wednesday "unity lunch" with city leaders claiming he was invited too late to change prior travel plans...
...there seems little chance of reconciliation, with an Epton supporter commenting after the polls closed. "Now the Blacks'll get real cocky. There's gonna be trouble for sure...
...Washington wants to tear down the system," said Greg Smith, while handing out Epton buttons. "He thinks patronage is bad Patronage has kept this city running efficiently for five generations...