American Notes CHICAGO

"My kind of town, Chicago is," crooned Mayor Harold Washington with more enthusiasm than tune. He had good reason to sing: the elated mayor was celebrating his re-election and emergence as Chicago's most dominant political figure since the late Mayor Richard J. Daley. Washington took 53.5% of the vote last week to trounce his archenemy, former Alderman Edward Vrdolyak (42.2%), and Republican Donald Haider (4.3%). Cook County Assessor Thomas C. Hynes withdrew from the race 36 hours before the polls opened.

Becoming the first Chicago mayor to win re-election since Daley did it twelve years ago, Washington gained the kind of clout he will need to recast the city council and the shattered Democratic machine to his liking. But Chicago's bitter political divisions remain: the mayor captured an estimated 95.6% of the black vote but just 20% of the white vote.