Garcia lobbies for Mendoza mayoral bid
A former Jesus “Chuy” Garcia backer said he’s launching an effort to draft Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza into the race to be Chicago mayor.
The announcement by Marty Castro, a previous Illinois Human Rights Commission chair who played a key role in Garcia’s 2015 mayoral campaign, creates a dueling draft movement after U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez on Wednesday called on Garcia to join the race.
“I can think of no better person at this point in time to lead our city. On day one, she will bring a fresh voice and ideas, free from the reins of a longstanding broken political system, to create lasting change for our city,” Castro said in a statement. “Susana understands Chicago. She is Chicago. No one is more qualified or has a more compassionate understanding of the struggles that so many residents and families face.”
Castro said in the statement that he has spoken to the comptroller and urged her to run. Mendoza’s camp confirmed that Castro spoke to her.
But in a statement, Mendoza reiterated that she’s focusing on her re-election campaign.
“I am nothing but flattered and honored by the many calls of support urging me to run for mayor of Chicago, whichwould be an honor and a privilege, but right now I am focused on running for reelection and supporting the statewide Democratic ticket,” Mendoza said in a statement. “After nearly four years of a disastrous administration led by Bruce Rauner, we can’t take anything for granted.”
Mendoza faces Republican Darlene Senger, a former lawmaker and Rauner Susana Mendoza said she is flattered by calls urging her to run for mayor of Chicago.
administration November.
Illinois’ general election for statewide candidates is Nov. 6. The filing deadline for municipal races, including the Chicago mayor’s race, is Nov. 26, giving any candidate an approximately three-week window between elections to gather the 12,500 valid signatures needed to get on the city’s mayoral ballot.
Mendoza has been a top Rauner critic after winning her first term as comptroller two years ago. She defeated the governor’s chosen candidate in a race that was viewed as a proxy war between Rauner and his chief political nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Before that, Mendoza won two citywide races for clerk in 2011 and 2015 and spent about 10 years in the Illinois House.
Emanuel shook the city’s political landscape last week when he announced he would abandon his bid for a third term to spend more time with his wife, Amy Rule, and move on to an unspecified “next chapter” of his life.
CookCounty BoardPresident Toni Preckwinkle and Garcia publicly expressed
official, in
their interest in the job for the first time this week, but neither has announced a final decision.
Since Emanuel’s announcement, several highprofile politicians have weighed a bid, including Gutierrez, Preckwinkle, Garcia, Mendoza, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and 2011 mayoral candidate and City Hall veteran Gery Chico.
The main candidates who have declared they are running for mayor so far include former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, millionaire businessmanWillie Wilson, Chicago principals association President Troy LaRaviere, activist Ja’Mal Green, tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin, Southwest Side attorney Jerry Joyce, policy consultant AmaraEnyia, attorney John Kozlar and DePaul student Matthew Roney.