Chicago Mayoral Race 2027 Update: Mayor Johnson Officially In

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Sunday that he is running for a second term. He posted a campaign video and is holding a launch event at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.

Watch Johnson’s announcement video:

Four years ago, we promised to build the safest most affordable city in America by investing in people. Together we’ve made progress on delivering a better, stronger, and safer Chicago and our work is not done. Join us! pic.twitter.com/wopmJcP4gw

— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) September 13, 2026

In the video he says the city is “just getting started,” and he frames a second term around affordability, public safety, housing, mental health clinics, a pause on new data centers, and higher taxes on higher-income residents. 

Political reporter Brandon Pope was on FOX 32's Chicago Morning News talking about Mayor Johnson's announcement and his current tough polling numbers. With that said, Pope mentions that the Mayor is still popular among Black voters. [VIDEO]

The election is February 23, 2027, with a possible runoff on April 6. Petitions are due in late October.

Chicago Mayor’s Race Update: Mendoza Makes Her Case, Stanton Out, Wilson In

Photo Credit: Robert Loerzel

Latest updates to the 2027 Chicago Mayor's race!

#tbt Make the corner store great again!

Found this photo via Roseland History on Facebook. It shows a building which is used for apartments on the top floor and a storefront on the street located on 10957 S. Wentworth.

We see how it looked during the 1910s vs today. It appears the storefont is covered up today and the whole building is vacant and boarded up.

This is why I say "make the corner store great again". A building like this ought to be used for housing and certainly with a business operating on the street.

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Chipotle Ribbon Cutting #Ward09

 Something to put on your agendas on Thursday especially if you're a fan of Chipotle.

The new Chipotle is going up in the lot — now referred to as Pullman Gateway —  of the former Off Track Betting facility that has long been closed. 

The restaurant itself is on 11211 S. Corliss Ave and next to the Dunkin' that opened on that same Off Track Betting Lot. I had seen working going on that space for most of the summer.

h/t Concerned Citizens of Chatham

Chicago Mayoral Race 2027: Alexi Giannoulias is in

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias officially joined the 2027 Chicago mayoral race on Sunday in an exclusive interview with NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern. He announced his candidacy while criticizing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration for failing to “meet the moment,” citing high staff turnover, credit-rating problems, and difficulty advancing an agenda through City Council and Springfield. Giannoulias positioned himself as a coalition-builder who can work across labor, business, and neighborhood lines, and outlined priorities that include hiring more police officers, restoring ShotSpotter, and handling under-enrolled schools through community-driven processes rather than abrupt top-down closures.

In the interview, Giannoulias was clear in his opposition to President Trump, calling him dangerous to the world order and pointing to his own record of resisting Trump administration policies, including limits on ICE access to Illinois driver data. At the same time, he said he would still meet with Trump, framing it as a practical necessity: a mayor has to be willing to engage when the city’s interests — federal funding, public safety resources, or other issues affecting neighborhoods like the 9th Ward — are on the line.

Chicago Mayoral Race 2027: Updated Candidate List (July 31, 2026)

Credit: WBBM-AM

I didn't plan to do this so soon but here we go. Sharing this to note one potential candidate is instead running for re-election to the Chicago City Council. Let's go over this list together. And as noted just yesterday lobbyist John Kelly is running for mayor.

Chicago Mayoral Race 2027 Update: John Kelly Joins the Field

 Petition circulation for the February 23, 2027 Chicago mayoral election officially began this week. The field continues to grow.

CBS Chicago has the story regarding circulating petitions [VIDEO]

From the Train Window: Red Line Work

I was on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans yesterday and looked to my left and saw some of the construction for the Red Line Extension. I was riding the former Illinois Central tracks — the same corridor many of us know as the Metra Electric line (you can see the electric wires above in the photo).

The pillars going up are part of the extension that will run southeast from about 115th & Michigan along the Union Pacific Railroad, where the next-to-last stop is planned. From there the Red Line will continue southeast to 130th Street, right in the vicinity of Altgeld Gardens.

Construction is also moving along at other points on the project, including the work starting from the current 95th/Dan Ryan terminal.

What’s your experience with the Red Line Extension so far? Are you seeing progress near your block, dealing with construction impacts, or still waiting to feel any benefit? Drop your observations in the comments.

Chicago Mayoral Race 2027: Updated Who's In?

The 2027 Chicago mayoral election is shaping up to be one of the most crowded in recent memory. With Election Day set for February 23, 2027 (and a potential runoff on April 6), the field of challengers to incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson continues to grow. Petitions can begin circulating as early as July 28, 2026, and the race remains fluid.

Source: ABC7Chicago

For residents of Chicago’s 9th Ward and the broader South Side, this contest matters deeply. We need leaders who will prioritize reliable transit (like Red and Green Line service to downtown jobs), safer streets, affordable housing that preserves long-time homeowners, equitable school resources, and economic development that actually reaches our neighborhoods instead of stopping at downtown or the lakefront. At the same time, the next mayor must tackle city-wide challenges that affect every Chicagoan — from structural budget deficits to system-wide transit reliability and government efficiency.

Here’s the latest breakdown of who has officially announced and who remains rumored or potential as of early July 2026.