Dear President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris,

When news networks called the election for you, cheers broke out in the streets of Chicago, a city that the current occupant of the White House has repeatedly demeaned, insulted, and threatened. It was the biggest rush of collective relief this city has experienced since 2019, when we had just rid ourselves of another craven egomaniac with a legacy of destruction.

That man was former mayor Rahm Emanuel. We recently learned that you are considering him for a top position in your administration. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has already warned that progressives will not accept an Emanuel nomination, which would signal a disastrous direction for the new administration. Thousands of Chicagoans have signed a petition saying the same.