After six months of campaigning, Chicago finally has a new mayor this week. It’s no surprise, really, that Rahm Emanuel won the mayoral election.

Since Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart dropped out of the race early on, it quickly became apparent that there wasn’t a candidate — or a political organization — that could knock Emanuel off his track.

We had a chance to meet with Emanuel recently, and found him to be even-keeled and thorough in answering the questions that were tossed at him, though he only fielded them in a controlled environment.

That’s more than 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti can say, though. In a post-victory interview, Fioretti said he hasn’t had a chance to talk to the new mayor yet, though that was one of Emanuel’s promises in his speech.

The dynamic between the Emanuel and the new council will be one of the most interesting things to watch when the new government takes over in May. Freed from Daley, how the council decides to assert itself under Emanuel will be telling.

Already, council members are beginning to assert themselves. Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), in his victory speech Tuesday night, said, “We’re going to see just how tough Rahm is.”

Second Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti said he’s poised and ready to take a leadership role in the new council. Up in the 32nd Ward, Scott Waguespack said the same, adding, “if you can work with Mayor Daley, you can work with anyone.”

We’d like to see things change on the city council. New assertiveness from the city’s legislative branch is essential to avoiding deals like the parking meter lease. However, the city is dangerously close to financial insolvency, and real business needs to be done. An obstructionist council that blocks all the mayor’s proposals is no good, either.

What the city needs is a city council with that rarest of qualities in America: a legislative branch that knows how to strike a compromise. We’re hoping that’s not a pipe dream.

Watching this unfold should be golden entertainment, though. The scramble for power in the new council should be fantastic theater. Several of the aldermen in Chicago Journal territory should be in prime position to take control, which should bode well for South and West Loop residents.

Rest assured, we’re watching this closely. We want to see how this pans out. It should be one heck of an entertaining Rahm-com.