Alice Palmer (Illinois politician)

Infobox_State_Senator
name=Alice J. Palmer


state_senate=Illinois
state=Illinois
district=13th
term_start=June 6, 1991
term_end=January 8, 1997
preceded=Richard Newhouse
succeeded=Barack Obama
date of birth=birth date and age|1939|06|20
place of birth=Indianapolis, Indiana
date of death=
place of death=
party=Democratic|

Alice J. Palmer (born June 20, 1939 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is a former Democratic State Senator from Illinois, representing the state's 13th District. [cite web| url=http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=1839 | title=Alice Palmer Biography | publisher=The HistoryMakers | accessdate=2008-04-07 | date=August 9, 2000] Dr. Palmer was the founding executive director of Chicago Cities in Schools and creator and founding director of the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA Youth and Government Program.

In 1994 Mel Reynolds, member of U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois's 2nd congressional district, was indicted for a sexual relationship with an underage campaign volunteer. Palmer filed for the Democratic nomination to his seat but finished third in a special election held November 1995, which was won by Jesse Jackson, Jr. She had, with a degree of formality that is disputed, anointed Barack Obama as her chosen successor in the State Senate, but after her defeat she filed to retain the Democratic nomination for the 13th District. Obama was able, however, to successfully challenge enough signatures to disqualify not only the incumbent but the other three candidates for the Democratic nomination as well, which he won unopposed. [cite news | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/religion/chi-0704030881apr04,1,3119388,print.story | title=Showing his bare knuckles | work=Chicago Tribune | author= David Jackson | coauthors= Ray Long | date=April 4 2007| accessdate=2008-04-21] cite news | author=David Jackson | coauthors= Ray Long | title=Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot | date=April 3, 2007 | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,1,57567.story | work=Chicago Tribune | accessdate=2008-04-21]

Obama himself has said that the challenges were necessitated by what he called obvious flaws in the challengers' signature sheets. "To my mind, we were just abiding by the rules that had been set up," he said in a 2007 interview with the Chicago Tribune.. When asked if voters were not disserviced by a ballot with no opposing candidates, Obama said "I think they ended up with a very good state senator."

Palmer endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. [Christi Parsons, [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/once-obamas-men.html Once Obama's mentor, Alice Palmer now campaigns for Clinton] "LA Times", April 26, 2008]

References