Black Quits Chicago Mayoral Primary

Although the primary is still two months away, the contest among Chicago’s battling Democrats for the party’s mayoral nomination tightened Thursday with the withdrawal of one of the two leading black candidates. Winning the Democratic nomination has been tantamount to election for much of the 20th Century.

Timothy C. Evans, a member of the City Council and political ally of the late Mayor Harold Washington, announced that he will bypass the February Democratic primary to run as an independent in the April general election. He will be the candidate of the newly formed Harold Washington Party.

Evans decided to skip the primary to avoid spitting the black vote with Acting Mayor Eugene Sawyer, who was selected over Evans to lead the city at a stormy all-night City Council meeting a year ago.

With Evans out of the race, the Democratic primary is likely to become a showdown between Sawyer and Cook County State’s Atty. Richard M. Daley, whose father ruled Chicago for 20 years as mayor and as a powerful Democratic political boss.

Also on the crowded Democratic ballot are Aldermen Juan Soliz and Lawrence Bloom, as well as a former state senator and a follower of political extremist Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.

Evans’ withdrawal from the race leaves him in an enviable strategic position--one in which he has much to gain and seemingly very little to lose.

If Daley defeats Sawyer in the primary, Evans will emerge as a strong contender in a three-way general election race with Daley and the winner of the Republican primary, where the field is populated by political unknowns.

‘Daley Machine Politics’

Evans believes Sawyer will lose. In making his announcement Thursday, he said he was taking an unusual political path “to prevent the return of Daley machine politics in the city.”

“We believe Daley is our real opponent and that he is seeking to pull this city back into the past,” Evans told interviewers.

If Sawyer defeats Daley, Evans can challenge the acting mayor, his arch political foe, in a three-way general election that will include an almost certainly politically weak Republican.

Evans’ believes he can mount his strongest challenge in a head-to-head contest with Sawyer or Daley but not in a contest where both are on the ballot.

Evans acted as Sawyer, who was perceived as a weak candidate just a few weeks ago, appeared to be gaining strength by winning endorsements and mounting a slick television campaign.

Sawyer, who has reportedly been taking speech lessons, can now more often be understood when he is answering questions or making a speech.

Daley, meanwhile, has been touched by controversy that is providing his political foes with an opening to attack the county prosecutor.

Last weekend the Chicago Tribune disclosed that irregularities had been found on referendum petitions circulated two years ago by employees of Daley’s office and that the investigation into those alleged irregularities was moving slowly.

The disclosure has prompted opponents to demand that Daley appoint a special prosecutor, something he has refused to do.