Victor Rowans wanted to run for alderman in the 27th ward.

Unfortunately for Rowan, an unpaid $60 parking ticket got him knocked off the ballot, according to the Sun-Times Mary Mitchell.

For those of you not up to speed on election law, you can’t run for office in Chicago, if you owe the city any money for anything–even a single parking ticket.

But Rowan didn’t really even own the car in question. He had co-signed on the loan for the car, presumably as a favor for a friend or relative.

But, rules are rules, right?

Now Chicago watches and waits for the Illinois Supreme Court to rule if Rahm Emanuel can stay on the ballot for mayor.

Luckily for Rahm, his past two years living in Washington DC have keep him off Chicago’s streets, parking ticket free, with a good shot of staying on the ballot and becoming Chicago’s next mayor.

I guess the lesson from all this is, if you want to run for political office in Chicago, the most important qualification is not whether you actually live in Chicago but that you don’t have any outstanding parking tickets.

I suggest reading Mary Mitchell’s fine column today, “Bombshell was allowing Rahm on ballot.”