Chicago’s mayor sets longevity record

CHICAGO – Richard M. Daley on Sunday surpassed his father’s tenure, becoming the longest-serving mayor of Chicago.

Daley, first elected in 1989, has served 7,917 days in office, or 21 years and eight months. That’s one day more than his father, Richard J. Daley, who died in office in 1976.

Daley announced earlier this year that he would retire and not run for a seventh term.

When he leaves office next spring he will have served about five months longer than his father. Between them, the Daleys have been in charge in Chicago for 42 of the past 55 years.

Daley, 68, told reporters last week that he believed his father was the city’s greatest mayor.

“My father. The son will always say it’s the father,” Daley said.

Edward Bedore was budget director for both Daleys.

“One was a builder,” Bedore told the Chicago Sun-Times. “The other completed the house.”