The Fairmont Hotel in the heart of downtown Chicago is one of the city’s top rated hotels. It’s where select VIP spend their nights while visiting Chicago for very important business. It’s also where one of the International Olympic Committee advisory panels stayed while evaluating Chicago for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On a good night the hotel will cost you just over $200, for a room. Tonight the Fairmont is playing host to the man who wants to become Illinois’ next US Senator.
The soundtrack for tonight’s rock star reception, includes the latest hit music from Lady Gaga, “Let’s Dance” and Black Eyed Peas, “Tonight’s Gonna Be A Good Night.” Music that is no doubt trying to pump up the the mood for a victory celebration here tonight.
More than two hours since the polls closed in Illinois, the ballroom in the basement of the Fairmont is finally getting crowded. Roughly several hundred Alexi Giannoulias supporters, many in their 20s and 30s who have volunteered for the campaign. Outside the ballroom there are stacks of t-shirts for sale, that read 20ALEXI10, for $20. Bumper stickers and buttons are selling for $2. Front and center in the ballroom is the stage and screen plastered with the words “Jobs. The BIG Issue.” A message Giannoulias clearly plans to use to strike a chord with voters, if he wins tonight’s primary.
While the booze is flowing freely in the ballroom, Giannoulias remains upstairs keeping a close eye on tonight’s election results from a private suite on the 37th floor of the hotel,with his fiance, Tara Flocco, who works for a public relations firm in Chicago.
Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, 33, has been the noted frontrunner in the democratic primary campaign since he announced he would run for Barack Obama’s old senate seat. Giannoulias currently serves as State Treasurer, elected in 2006. Before that he worked as the VP and senior loan officer for Broadway Bank, his family owned community bank in Chicago. A bank that has come under the fire in recent weeks for mismanaging millions in bad real estate investments. The latest records filed with the FDIC show the bank lost 75 million dollars in 2009, while paying out close to the same amount in dividends. Regardless of his family’s banking problems Giannoulias remains popular enough with democrats. He also happens to be basketball buddies with President Barack Obama who he friended during Obama’s earlier days in Illinois politics.