Ed Burke

AGE: 68
OCCUPATION: Alderman, 14th Ward

One of the last of the old-school Chicago Machine pols, this Hibernian grandee has bodyguards. Yes, he had a bad 2011 when his political son, Gery Chico, finished second to Emanuel. But he’s still finance committee chairman, still has $8 million in his campaign fund, still has a wife on the state Supreme Court, and still controls judicial slating in Cook County—which means his influence is felt on issues ranging from property taxes to elections.

MORE ON BURKE: Ald. Burke and the Case of the $600k Security Detail | The Mayoral Debate: Could Rahm Emanuel Take On Ed Burke?

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Photograph: William Deshazer/Chicago Tribune