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Legislator fails in Mexican council bid

By Oscar Avila
Tribune staff reporter
Published September 28, 2005


About 1,000 Mexicans in Chicago chose six community activists to serve as advisers to the Mexican government, but an Illinois state senator fell short in his bid to join the advisory council.

Voters cast ballots at a Pilsen high school Saturday to choose representatives to an advisory council created by Mexican President Vicente Fox in 2002 to aid immigrants in this country.

Francisco Javier Salas, a radio host for Spanish-language WRTO-AM, received 279 votes, the highest total.

Also elected to the council were Salvador Pedroza, president of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce; Jose Artemio Arreola, a board member for a federation of residents from the state of Michoacan; Cuahutemoc Morfin, a Pilsen community activist; Omar Lopez, executive director of a Humboldt Park health agency; and Fabian Morales, former president of a federation of residents from the state of Guerrero.

State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) finished seventh with 222 votes and will serve as one of three alternates on the advisory council.

Sandoval would have been the first U.S.-elected official to serve on the advisory council. Supporters said his candidacy reflected the natural links between Mexican communities in both nations. But critics said serving in both positions would have been an unacceptable conflict of interest.

Francisco Cisneros, a member of the local committee that organized the election, said he thinks Sandoval's participation raised the stature of the advisory council and boosted turnout.

Cisneros praised the quality of the field of candidates and said he hopes the unofficial advisory council election will encourage Mexicans in Chicago to participate in next year's Mexican presidential elections, which will be the first time Mexicans cast ballots from abroad.

"This was an opportunity for people to know that their vote counts," Cisneros said. "It was a good exercise for people."