The 2011 Chicago municipal election is two weeks away. Tuesday, Eight Forty-Eight begins its one-on-one conversations with the candidates for mayor. The show plans to talk with everyone still in the race: Gery Chico, Rahm Emanuel, Carol Mosley Braun, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins and William “Dock” Walls.

First up is Miguel del Valle. Del Valle first entered the political arena in 1982 when he worked on Harold Washington’s successful mayoral campaign. In 1986, del Valle was elected to the state senate; he was the first Latino in that chamber. During his 20 years in the office, del Valle served as Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the Senate Education Committee.

The current Mayor Daley appointed him City Clerk in 2006. A few months later he was elected to a four-year term. Under del Valle, the office is credited with implementing unprecedented levels of transparency. But Miguel del Valle considers community activism his life’s work.

Thursday Eight Forty-Eight talks with mayoral candidate Carol Mosley Braun.

Music Button: Stanton Moore, “Root Cellar”, from the CD Groove Alchemy, (Telarc)