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.

Officially Announced Candidates

The list has expanded significantly since our June update:

• Joe Holberg — Entrepreneur and founder of Holberg Financial/Spring. One of the earliest entrants (October 2025). Positions himself as an outsider focused on economic growth, housing affordability, balancing the budget, and education reform.
• Maria Pappas — Cook County Treasurer. Announced her intent while still running for re-election as treasurer. Known for practical governance and pushing back against some progressive tax proposals.
• Mike Quigley — U.S. Representative (5th District). Announced intent in January 2026 and formally launched his campaign on June 27. Has described Chicago as “in crisis” and advocates a pro-business approach, warning against simply taxing our way out of financial trouble.
• Liam Stanton — Small business owner and co-founder of the Chicago Style Project. Rogers Park native and first-time candidate. Emphasizes affordability, public safety, supporting small businesses, and bringing fresh energy to City Hall.
• Susana Mendoza — Illinois Comptroller (not seeking re-election there). Launched her bid on June 3 with the slogan “progress that people can actually feel.” Highlights rising rents, government accountability, curbing spending, rebuilding trust in policing, and improving CTA transit.
• George Cardenas — Cook County Board of Review commissioner and former 12th Ward Alderman (McKinley Park, Little Village, Brighton Park areas). Announced June 16 at a Southwest Side event. Stresses fiscal discipline, TIF reform, and making public safety “priority No. 1” — supporting officers while insisting on accountability.
• Matt Brewer — South Side native, attorney, entrepreneur, and former Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) operating chair/board member. Announced June 25. Brings direct housing policy experience and has cited the need to address “dysfunction” at City Hall (while stating it is not a spite campaign).
• Dr. Lisa Nee — Chicago-based cardiologist, healthcare executive, and former ICU nurse. The most recent entrant (announced July 7). Best known as a whistleblower at Hines VA Hospital, where she exposed backlogs in life-saving heart tests and patient care failures. Her entry adds a healthcare and government accountability voice to the field.
• Danielle Carter-Walters — Grassroots activist, small business owner, and vice president of Chicago Flips Red. Running as a Republican. Focuses on accountability, forensic audits of city spending, public safety, and putting everyday South Side families first.

Note on Mayor Brandon Johnson: The incumbent has not yet formally announced whether he will seek a second term, though he is widely expected to run. His approval ratings have hovered around 31% amid ongoing concerns over city finances, public safety, and governance.

Rumored and Potential Contenders

Several high-profile names continue to generate buzz but have not officially entered:

• Alexi Giannoulias (Illinois Secretary of State) — Still the biggest rumored name. He has raised an eye-popping war chest (over $18 million reported earlier this year) that dwarfs most others. He remains focused on his own re-election this fall and has not announced a mayoral bid.
• Bill Conway (34th Ward Alderman) — Frequently mentioned as a potential challenger. An attorney, business leader, and military veteran serving his first term as alderman and Democratic committeeperson. He has been raising funds and building visibility.
• Willie Wilson — Businessman (medical supplies company founder) and perennial candidate who has run for mayor multiple times (2015, 2019, 2023). Widely speculated to enter again; he has been fundraising via social media for a prospective campaign but has not officially announced.
• Rahm Emanuel (former mayor, 2011–2019) — His name continues to be floated as a potential challenger despite low probability of a comeback bid. Emanuel has hinted at interest in returning to public service after his time as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, but recent signals point more toward national ambitions. A return to Chicago mayor would face significant hurdles, including backlash over his past record (particularly policing strategies and school closures that hit the South Side hard) and the shifted political landscape. Still, his high name recognition keeps speculation alive.

Other names that have been floated in media and political circles include former CPS CEO Paul Vallas (who ran in prior cycles) and a handful of lower-profile figures, though the core speculated field right now centers on Giannoulias, Conway, Wilson, and the occasional mention of Emanuel.

Key Issues for Voters

The campaign will likely revolve around several interconnected challenges. Below we break them down by their direct relevance to the 9th Ward and South Side, followed by broader city-wide issues that will shape the debate for all Chicagoans.

Priorities for the 9th Ward and South Side Communities

These hyper-local concerns will be especially important for voters in our area:

• Public Safety and Policing — Ongoing concerns about crime in South Side neighborhoods. Expect debate over police staffing, community trust-building, violence prevention through real investment (not just enforcement), and addressing youth hopelessness with pathways to jobs, housing, and support.
• Transit Reliability for South Side Commuters — Critical improvements to the Red Line extension (currently under construction) serving far South Side communities like the 9th Ward, ensuring it delivers reliable, high-quality service to residents when it opens, along with broader Green Line service for other South Side areas and reliable bus routes connecting residents to downtown jobs.
• Housing Affordability and Preserving Homeownership — Rising rents, property tax pressures on long-time homeowners, and the need for development that includes (rather than displaces) existing residents. Candidates with housing or CHA experience may face particular scrutiny here.
• Equitable School Resources — Under-enrollment, performance, and fair funding for CPS schools serving South Side communities.
• Economic Opportunity That Reaches Neighborhoods — Supporting small businesses and job creation on the South Side instead of letting growth concentrate only downtown or on the North Side.

Broader City-Wide Challenges

These systemic issues affect Chicago as a whole and will require city-wide solutions:

• Structural Budget Deficits and Fiscal Sustainability — Long-term budget pressures, debt, pension obligations, and the need for stronger financial controls and transparency across city government.
• CTA and Regional Transit System — System-wide reliability, funding, and modernization — not just individual lines but the entire network that serves workers, students, and families across all neighborhoods.
• City-Wide Crime Reduction and Public Safety Strategy — Developing effective, balanced approaches that reduce violence everywhere while rebuilding trust between police and communities city-wide.
• Housing Production and Anti-Displacement — Meeting city-wide affordable housing goals, reforming TIF policy, and preventing displacement as development occurs.
• Economic Growth, Business Climate, and Job Creation — Attracting and retaining businesses, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring prosperity is shared beyond the downtown core.
• Government Efficiency, Transparency, and Ethics — Reducing bureaucracy, improving service delivery, forensic-level accountability on spending, and restoring public trust in City Hall.
• Infrastructure Resilience and Climate — Addressing aging water/sewer systems, flooding (which hits many neighborhoods hard), roads, and broader climate resilience efforts.
• Education System Challenges — CPS enrollment decline, academic outcomes, and sustainable funding models that work for the entire city.

What’s Next?

The field is far from settled. Fundraising, polling, candidate forums, and how contenders engage voters across Chicago — including in the 9th Ward and on the South Side — will shape the contest in the months ahead. Nominating petition deadlines are still months away, so expect more movement and possibly additional candidates.

As a community-focused blog covering the 9th Ward and citywide issues, we’ll continue tracking developments that matter most to our neighbors while also examining the broader challenges facing Chicago.

Stay engaged. Attend candidate forums when they come to the South Side or city-wide, ask tough questions about both local impacts and city-wide solutions, and make your voice heard. Check the Chicago Board of Elections for official updates and follow reliable local reporting.

What issues — local or city-wide — matter most to you in this race? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them and they help shape our coverage.