Who’s the boss? Chicago

Voters will today pick from 14 candidates for mayor. America’s third-largest city has long had larger-than-life bosses, including the outgoing one. Rahm Emanuel, after two terms, leaves a city in broadly better economic health than eight years ago, but one still facing serious fiscal problems, street violence, dire corruption among its councillors and de facto racial segregation.

Rahm Emanuel

 This time round, the best-known candidate, Bill Daley, is backed by wealthy donors who want him to continue with pro-business policies. A win for him would show dynastic politics alive in America: his brother and father were both long-serving mayors with an iron grip on the city’s Democratic machine politics. Watch, too, Toni Preckwinkle, who has the backing of powerful unions, including teachers. No candidate is likely to reach the 50% of the votes needed to win outright today. Instead the two best placed will head to a run-off on April 2nd.