By Kevin O'Neil

McKinley Park voters overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden for president in the Nov. 3 election.

About 77 percent of voters cast their ballot for Biden, while about 20 percent selected President Donald Trump in the 8 12th Ward precincts that comprise McKinley Park, and in the 25th Precinct of the 11 Ward, in the far southeast corner of McKinley Park.

In the 12th Ward, 81.5 percent of voters cast their ballot for Biden, while about 16 percent selected President Donald Trump. Citywide, the vote count was about the same, with 82 percent choosing Biden vs. 16 percent for Trump.

Statewide, Biden won with 55.8 percent of the vote; Trump garnered 42.3 percent. Nationally, with still more votes to be counted, Biden leads with 50.6 percent vs. 47.6 percent for President Trump.

Here are the results in other races of note to McKinley Park residents.

• In the race for 4 District representative to Congress, incumbent Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia beat challenger Jesus Solorio with 82 percent of the vote in McKinley Park. In the 12th Ward, Garcia won with 88 percent of the vote. Districtwide, Garcia garnered 87 percent of the vote.
• State Sen. Antonio Munoz ran unopposed, as did State. Rep. Theresa Mah.

McKinley Park voters strongly supported the so-called Fair Tax amendment, with 70.5 percent voting yes, and 29.5 percent voting no. In the 12th Ward, voter about 77 percent voted yes on the amendment, and 23 percent voted no. Citywide, 71 percent voted yes, and 29 percent voted no.

However, the proposed constitutional amendment to move to a graduated income tax system lost, with only 45.5 percent voting yes statewide, and 54.5 saying no.

Thank you so much for sharing this expert analysis, Kevin.

I am not surprised at these results, for I've seen the McKinley Park neighborhood as a hotbed for both progressive activism and civic engagement. Many politicians have launched campaign events here (including Pritzker and Biss), and so many also have their offices located here (including Mah and Munoz; Mah also lives in the neighborhood).

Several years ago, Garcia has a big presence in the neighborhood in his role as Cook County Commissioner ... as I recall, he's one of the big advocates for the National Latino Education Institute (and he's a former student!).

I personally would rather that the Fair Tax amendment passed, as the wealthy have made beaucoup dinero during the pandemic, and they certainly haven't paid their fair share, especially recently. With budget shortfalls, we're now all facing potential tax hikes, with those least able to pay most severely affected.