Pastrick confident in new East Chicago mayoral race

Mayor Robert Pastrick said Thursday he was confident he would win next month's special Democratic primary despite a boost his main challenger received when another candidate dropped out.\nFormer state Sen. Lonnie Randolph quit the campaign on Wednesday, choosing instead to endorse George Pabey, a former City Council member and police chief who narrowly lost to Pastrick in last year's primary.\n"I don't think he has anything to do with transferring those votes," Pastrick said. "Those judgments are made by individual people."\nRandolph finished a distant third in last year's primary. He said his primary goal was to defeat Pastrick, who has been mayor of the heavily Democratic city since 1971.\nThe state Supreme Court last month ordered a new mayoral election after a challenge from Pabey, ruling that last year's primary was tainted with corruption by Pastrick's campaign.\nPastrick said he was confident about his re-election chances.\n"I feel very confident," he said. "I think when people look at the candidate and look at the opponent, I think they will make a strong choice. They will be choosing me."\nPastrick announced last week that he would campaign to complete his ninth term.\nDespite not running a campaign, Randolph's name will stay on the ballot for the Oct. 26 election because he was on the original ballot in May 2003. He received 2,289 votes, or 23 percent, in that primary, far behind Pastrick's 3,928 votes and Pabey's 3,805 votes.\nA general election has tentatively been scheduled for December.