Playing all sides

43rd Ward Democratic Committeeman Daniel O’Brien campaigned for three different U.S. Senate candidates in the 1984 primary election. He was running for re-election to his party post and wanted to be allied with the right candidate in each part of his ward.

So, in the lakefront high-rises he supported Paul Simon. In the Black precincts he supported Roland Burris. And in the working-class precincts he supported the party-slated candidate, Phil Rock.

Simon carried the ward and O’Brien was re-elected.