 In the months leading up to the election , the Heart of Uptown Coalition and a Shiller supporter who was director of the Center for Street People , 4455 N. Broadway , organized a voter registration drive that registered 80 homeless people using the Center 's address , and on election day fed them a meal at a local church hall and helped them vote . Jesus People USA , a 500 @-@ member commune / business / charity / religious group with many members living in the ward , had supported Orbach throughout his career , but switched to Shiller before the run @-@ off . Jesus People 's spokesman explained " We think Jerry Orbach is a lovely man , but he doesn 't have what it takes to stand up to the development ... If things keep going there will be massive displacement . People will be thrown out of their homes . We decided that Helen Shiller would do the most to prevent displacement . " Orbach supporters charged that a City official had offered City contracts to the Jesus People 's construction firm if Shiller were elected . On Tuesday , April 7 , 1987 Shiller defeated Orbach by 498 votes , 9 @,@ 751 to 9 @,@ 253 , and contributed to a narrow , pro @-@ Washington , reform @-@ minded majority in the City Council which helped draw the Council Wars era to close . 
