The 14th Ward Democrats slated the young Burke as the Democratic candidate in a special election called for on March 11, 1969, to fill vacancies in city council, including the 14th Ward. Burke faced six opponents, but won with a majority of 11,204 votes, while the next highest candidate received 1460 votes. He was sworn in by Mayor Richard J. Daley on March 14. Following the 1971 aldermanic elections, the Council approved the appointment of Burke, who was at the time a police sergeant on leave, as chairman of the Police and Fire Committee. In 1972 and 1973, Burke joined Alderman Edward Vrdolyak in a dissident caucus of aldermen demanding a greater voice in city affairs from Mayor Daley and finance committee chairman Thomas Keane. The dissident aldermen were labelled the "Young Turks," and their caucus was called the "coffee rebellion" after the beverage served at their morning meetings. In the backroom of the city council chamber, Burke once threatened to punch Alderman Leon Despres in the nose if Despres were not so old.