After ruling out a bid in two earlier elections, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley made it official on Saturday: He\u2019s running for Chicago mayor.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s election. He joins a crowded field of hopefuls who believe the freshman progressive executive is vulnerable to an ouster.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Uptown Theatre, we are here for a reason,\u201d Quigley said to supporters gathered inside the annals of the historic but decrepit structure. \u201cThe Uptown Theatre is a movie and entertainment palace, and it translates that historical greatness to our city, because it\u2019s this great asset that needs a lot of our help.\u201d<\/p>\n
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, \u201cBecause that\u2019s what it takes to get (expletive) done.\u201d In his campaign video and speech, he promised to tackle pensions, centralize the city\u2019s procurement process and reform zoning regulations \u2014 including the \u201coriginal sin of redlining\u201d \u2014 and throwing cold water on more taxes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe easy part is to tell you Chicago is the greatest city in the world,\u201d Quigley told the crowd, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Johnson\u2019s slogan of Chicago being the \u201cgreatest freakin\u2019 city in the world.\u201d \u201cWe have everything we need to succeed. But one thing we haven\u2019t had is the courage make tough choices. That changes now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four years ago, Quigley had stated<\/a> he considered running for mayor but couldn\u2019t due to the crisis in Ukraine and \u201cmy duty to safeguard democracy.\u201d He said he would have \u201crelished the opportunity to get Chicago back on track\u201d 10 years ago, but, \u201cIf I\u2019m being completely honest, at 63, I don\u2019t think my family and I can make this kind of commitment.\u201d Instead, Quigley endorsed his colleague, Illinois U.S. Rep. Jesus \u201cChuy\u201d Garcia, who came in fourth place during the first round of voting.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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 \u2014 and their deep-pocketed donors.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias \u2014 who has amassed a suspiciously formidable war chest for someone just running to hold his statewide post \u2014 is widely expected to declare. So are business Willie Wilson, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, downtown Ald. Bill Conway and veteran lobbyist John Kelly.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cUnity Rally\u201d featuring some of his close allies.<\/p>\n Quigley first ascended to Congress in 2009 when he replaced Rahm Emanuel, who stepped down from the seat to be President Barack Obama\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s budget fiasco in City Hall, Quigley opined on the city\u2019s fiscal trajectory by standing<\/a> with the aldermanic opposition to cheer on potential efficiencies outlined in the Ernst & Young report.<\/p>\n