Several candidates raised the possibility of ending or curtailing aldermanic privilege, the tradition of giving aldermen effective veto power over real estate deals and permitting in their respective wards. The idea is that aldermen know the most about their wards and what their communities wants. But that power can be abused, and in Burke’s case, it led to the accusation that he tried to coerce the owners of a Burger King into becoming law clients by holding up the permitting process for a restaurant under renovation.