After ruling out a bid in two earlier elections, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley made it official on Saturday: He’s running for Chicago mayor.
Flanked by supporters at Uptown Theatre in the afternoon, the Illinois 5th District congressman announced his campaign to unseat Mayor Brandon Johnson in next year’s election. He joins a crowded field of hopefuls who believe the freshman progressive executive is vulnerable to an ouster.
“The Uptown Theatre, we are here for a reason,” Quigley said to supporters gathered inside the annals of the historic but decrepit structure. “The Uptown Theatre is a movie and entertainment palace, and it translates that historical greatness to our city, because it’s this great asset that needs a lot of our help.”
Quigley, an avid hockey fan, opened his kickoff event by playing an ad with him chasing a puck around the ice rink and saying to the camera, “Because that’s what it takes to get (expletive) done.” In his campaign video and speech, he promised to tackle pensions, centralize the city’s procurement process and reform zoning regulations — including the “original sin of redlining” — and throwing cold water on more taxes.
“The easy part is to tell you Chicago is the greatest city in the world,” Quigley told the crowd, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Johnson’s slogan of Chicago being the “greatest freakin’ city in the world.” “We have everything we need to succeed. But one thing we haven’t had is the courage make tough choices. That changes now.”
Four years ago, Quigley had stated he considered running for mayor but couldn’t due to the crisis in Ukraine and “my duty to safeguard democracy.” He said he would have “relished the opportunity to get Chicago back on track” 10 years ago, but, “If I’m being completely honest, at 63, I don’t think my family and I can make this kind of commitment.” Instead, Quigley endorsed his colleague, Illinois U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who came in fourth place during the first round of voting.
Quigley also considered a run in 2019 after Mayor Rahm Emanuel dropped out, but opted not to jump into the race. His candidacy in 2027 could draw interest from Chicago’s business community and North Side residents who are seeking an alternative to Johnson, but he will likely have to fend off other challengers eager to make inroads with those bases — and their deep-pocketed donors.
Other candidates who already threw their hats in the ring are Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas, and entrepreneurs Joe Holberg and Liam Stanton.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias — who has amassed a suspiciously formidable war chest for someone just running to hold his statewide post — is widely expected to declare. So are business Willie Wilson, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, downtown Ald. Bill Conway and veteran lobbyist John Kelly.
Meanwhile, Johnson has not yet announced his reelection bid and has shown lackluster campaign hauls this year, but his political team has shown signs of reinvigoration. He held a downtown fundraiser a week ago, and later Saturday afternoon had an appearance scheduled at a progressive-led “Unity Rally” featuring some of his close allies.
Quigley first ascended to Congress in 2009 when he replaced Rahm Emanuel, who stepped down from the seat to be President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. Emanuel then ran for mayor in 2011. He serves a district that covers North and Northwest Side neighborhoods as well as suburbs in west Cook County.
He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, co-chair of the House Ukrainian Caucus, and earlier served on the House Select Committee on Intelligence until 2022. During last fall’s budget fiasco in City Hall, Quigley opined on the city’s fiscal trajectory by standing with the aldermanic opposition to cheer on potential efficiencies outlined in the Ernst & Young report.
Quigley also gave a thumbs down to Johnson’s proposed head tax last fall, saying, “I can’t think of a better way to … tell folks you’re not welcome than to impose a head tax.”
Before joining Congress, Quigley was a Cook County Commissioner from 1998 to 2009, succeeding Pappas after she ascended to county Treasurer. During his tenure, he staunchly opposed tax hikes pushed by board presidents John and Todd Stroger. He grew up in suburban Carol Stream and graduated from Roosevelt University before earning a law degree from Loyola University.
Quigley alluded to his past life as a county commissioner by noting his reform fight with the “machine,” but focused on touting what he said was standing up to Republican President Donald Trump and even Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a post-speech gaggle with reporters, he played coy on a variety of City Hall issues, besides the issue of taxes.
Asked whether the next mayor must hold the line on raising property taxes, Quigley said, “The last option needs to be raising taxes. … The first priority has to be no new taxes.” He also would not commit to keeping the Chicago Bears in the city, or even the state, saying that is an issue for the Illinois General Assembly.
“Mayor Johnson didn’t get us into this mess, but it’s equally clear he is not going to get us out of this mess. I think the theme in Chicago has been a lack of leadership in the mayor’s office,” Quigley said. “The cavalry is not coming to the rescue”