A New Beginning in Chicago
John Schmidt, who worked on Daley's 1989 campaign, remembers that the campaign focused on transcending racial divisions:The name-calling and politics at City Hall are keeping us from tackling the real issues. It’s time we stop fighting each other, and start working together.
Read the speech in which Richard M. Daley announced his candidacy for mayor on December 5, 1988:
While the focus of Daley's campaign was on bringing Chicagoans together, it also touched on broader trends, such as the city's need to adapt to new economic challenges.
From the Daley Agenda for Chicago's Future:
Chicago can make up for the shift in business trends by taking the forefront in the fight for new jobs in growing fields like finance and health care. Chicago cannot afford to focus on only one economic sector, ignoring the growth industries of the 1990s.
Daley won the election and took the oath of office on April 24, 1989. In his inauguration speech, he reiterated the themes of his campaign and offered his vision for addressing the challenges facing Chicago.
Listen to Mayor Daley’s first inauguration speech, as reported by Bob Crawford of WBBM Chicago: