Emanuel's paternal grandfather emigrated from Bessarabia. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 23rd White House Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010, and as a member of the United States House ofRepresentatives from ity Chicago between 2003 and 2009. Emanuel began hispolitical career with the public interest and consumer rights rganization Illinois Public Action. He went on to serve in a number of capacities in socal and national politics, initially specializing in fundraising for Illinois campaigns and then nationally. Emanuel workedfor Democrat Paul Simon's 1984 election to the U.S. Senate. He also worked as the national campaign director for the Democratic ca- Congressional Campaign Committee in 1988, and was senior advisor and chief fund 001 - raiser for Richard M. Daley's successful initial campaign for mayor of Chicago, in the 1989. In October 2010, Emanuel resigned as chief of staff to run as a candidate in Ith. Chicago's 2011 mayoral election. Emanuel won with 55% of t h e vote over five oth- ner er candidates in the non-partisan mayoral election, succeeding 22-year incumbent Richard M. Daley. At his reelection, although Emanuel failed to obtain an absolute pan majority in the February 2015 mayoral election, he defeated Cook County board com- 988 missioner (and later United States House of Representatives) Jesús "Chuy" García in the subsequent run-off election in April.