Kelly made the promise while showcasing his political candor to an audience of movers and shakers at the City Club of Chicago Thursday.
By Fran Spielman
Lobbyist John Kelly, a candidate in the 2027 mayoral race, wants to help Bridgeport residents keep Amtrak from building a railyard in their neighborhood.
Mayoral challenger John Kelly on Thursday promised Bridgeport politicians and their constituents to use the clout he has built as White Sox lobbyist and Jerry Reinsdorf’s business partner to “stop Amtrak from coming into your neighborhood.”
Kelly made the promise while showcasing his political candor to an audience of movers and shakers at the City Club of Chicago.
Bridgeport Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) and Cook County Commissioner John Daley have been determined to prevent the Sox from leaving Rate Field for the South Loop under a plan proposed by Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia. That plan also entails the construction of the Amtrak maintenance site in Bridgeport.
Kelly is uniquely positioned to help. For nearly three decades, he has lobbied on behalf of clout-heavy clients that do business with City Hall and the state of Illinois. His state lobbying clients include the White Sox, whose principal owner, Reinsdorf, also is Kelly’s business partner in a security firm.
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That’s why Kelly believes he is in a position to deliver for Bridgeport residents.
“Rahm Emanuel got elected because he was tough and he was competent. His line is, `As mayor, you make a decision every day. You have an `A’ and you have a `B.’ I had an A and a B down in Bridgeport when Amtrak wanted to jam a facility that would ruin their neighborhood,” Kelly told the City Club audience.
“I got in the car and I went down. Didn’t talk to any of my advisers. And we are gonna stop the Amtrak from coming to your neighborhood.”
After the smattering of applause died down, Kelly said, “Some candidates showed up. Some of them — their line was, `I can’t go down there because I’m on the fence on that issue.’ You can’t be mayor when you sit on the fence. That’s not gonna happen when I’m mayor of Chicago.”
Kelly predicted that the insider relationships he has built as a career lobbyist would be used against him in the crowded race for mayor.
“My opponents are gonna come at me and I’m sure they’ve got commercials in the can... [saying], `John’s a lobbyist.’ Sorry, lobbyists get s—t done,” Kelly said. “We’ve worked the system for 30 years and we know ins and outs better than anybody. And I don’t know why that is a negative, because I don’t believe that it is. “
Lee said she welcomes support from Kelly and anybody else who is prepared to help Bridgeport residents in the fight to stop Amtrak and keep the White Sox at Rate Field. But she has no idea whether Kelly has the clout to “pull that off.”
She said Reinsdorf is in control of the team right now and that he was “unaware of what was happening with Amtrak.”
“I don’t know that the White Sox organization has any influence over Amtrak’s decisions, she said.
And even if Kelly’s clout could help, Lee said Bridgeport residents can’t wait for the outcome of the mayoral election.
“This is existential for us. Time is of the essence right now. The development team and Amtrak have told us they intend to get shovels in the ground as soon as the end of the year or [early] 2027,” Lee said.
The urgency of the matter has everything to do with what Lee called a “federal pre-exemption.” Amtrak received more than $600 million and a “categorical exclusion” from the federal government for the project, which allows it to move forward without a full environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement “unless there are extraordinary circumstances.”
“They believe those powers allow them to bypass local zoning and building rules. They’re willing to coordinate and consult with the city. But by no means is it somehow asking for permission,” Lee said. “I’m trying to understand where federal pre-emption meets home rule authority because, at some point, they’re gonna need to tap a water line, tap a sewer line, close a street for construction. And I am unclear as to whether federal pre-emption gives them those rights.”
Arguing that billionaire businessman Ken Griffin was run out of Chicago because of violent crime, Kelly also vowed to “cut a deal with Griffin to get him back” and lure the $2 billion donation that Griffin gave to Carnegie Mellon University for a campus he’s building in Florida.
And he warned the audience to “look out for Brandon Johnson,” whom he claimed “won’t be an easy lay-up of a candidate” because he’s “got a conviction for what he believes in.”
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