Obama OP support awesome

Local Democratic officials were shaking their heads tiredly but happily last Tuesday night as Barack Obama’s historic presidential victory slowly began to sink in. As it turns out his victory was even bigger here than originally believed. With absentee and provisional votes totaled, the Illinois Senator’s winning percentage in Oak Park grew from 83.2 percent on election night to 84.2 percent, according to the Cook County Clerk’s office.

Obama’s strength in Oak Park was simply awesome. Ninety percent didn’t even get you in the top five, as six precincts topped that lofty total. They include: the 30th, 53rd, 48th, 12th, 32nd and 1st. The 39th precinct turned in the highest number of votes total for Obama, giving him 653 of its 799 votes.

In River Forest the 9^th precinct (74.14 percent) and the 3^rd precinct (70.19 percent) gave our next president Oak Park like numbers.

River Forest resident Anita Alvarez’s support in the two villages was merely overpowering. The first Hispanic and woman state’s attorney received 3,735 fewer Oak Park votes than Obama, and 1,400 people didn’t bother to vote at all for State’s Attorney. In River Forest nearly 240 didn’t bother to cast a vote, and she garnered 241 less votes than the presidential candidate.

Still, Alvarez won a thumping victory, sweeping all 15 River Forest precincts by 55 to 71 percent margins. She won even bigger in Oak Park, taking all 58 precincts by between 70 and 84 percent.

-Bill Dwyer

How we voted

River Forest by precinct

Oak Park by precinct