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 "The challenges we have are hard. They don't need to be made
harder if I have a stylistic issue," said Emanuel, who has been
known for being hard-edged and autocratic.
Emanuel, 55, a former aide to President Barack Obama, won
re-election on Tuesday in the city's first mayoral runoff - after he
failed to obtain 50 percent of the vote in the first round in
February. He beat Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, a little-known county
commissioner, in a hard-fought race.
In campaigning against Garcia, Emanuel - dubbed "the Rahmfather" by
one newspaper columnist - acknowledged in television ads that he
could be abrasive, and talk when he should listen.
Whether he can maintain this softer approach remains to be seen as
he confronts even bigger problems in his second term. These include
contract talks with a hostile teachers' union, a budget-cutting
Republican Illinois governor, ballooning pension payments, and
persistent violent crime and poverty.
 Teachers' contract talks are an early major test of the chastened
Emanuel. His poor relations with the Chicago Teachers Union helped
lead to the district's first strike in 25 years in 2012, affecting
400,000 students. CTU President Karen Lewis, who said Emanuel swore
at her during a private meeting, had planned to run against Emanuel
until she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Jesse Sharkey, CTU's acting president, said little progress has been
made in negotiations, which started in November.
"I think (Emanuel) survived the runoff instead of conquering it, so
I do expect to see a more conciliatory approach - at least, I hope
so," he said.
Chicago's schools face a projected deficit of $1.1 billion, while
the city itself expects its structural deficit to approach $1
billion next year, compared with about $300 million at present.
Emanuel might call for more union concessions and possibly higher
property taxes.
Emanuel also will contend with a slightly less pliable City Council,
after some incumbents who had consistently voted with him lost their
seats.
The mayor told reporters on Wednesday he did not want a "rubber
stamp" City Council - though an Emanuel-aligned super Political
Action Committee had helped fund his allies on Tuesday.
There are also the continuing challenges of crime and poverty.
Chicago reported 407 murders in 2014, while the much larger New York
had 328.
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Though Chicago's crime rate is not the nation's highest, there is a
widespread perception that street violence is out of control,
especially in the poorest neighborhoods. More than one in five
residents, or 22.6 percent, is below the poverty level, according to
U.S. Census figures.
Chicagoans are wondering how much Emanuel can change.
"The mayor is who he is," said Paul Green, political science
professor at Roosevelt University. "I think he's sincere when he
says he'll listen more, but I don't think it will change much."
Early in his political career, Emanuel sent a pollster a dead fish,
but challenges in the next term will force him to act with more
finesse, said William Brandt, head of restructuring firm Development
Specialists. "It's great to be the hard guy sending people dead fish
in newspapers," said Brandt. But "they're looking for a leader. Be a
leader, not the hard guy."
Garcia supporter Kythzia Jurado, 40, expressed doubts.
"I think we'll see a softer Rahm at first but it remains to be seen
what he does behind closed doors," Jurado said.
But Kim Hanlon, 45, who voted for Emanuel, hopes he does not change
too much.
"I kind of like that he is a jerk," said Hanlon. "You can't make
everybody happy."
(Additional reporting by Megan Davies in New York; editing by Lisa
Shumaker and Matthew Lewis)
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