Chicago’s next mayoral election is just four months away, and 16 candidates have filed signatures with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Mayoral candidates must submit at least 12,500 valid signatures from registered Chicago voters, and candidates may face challenges over the legitimacy of those signatures. Objections to signatures must be filed by Nov. 2, and the ballot is scheduled to be certified by Dec. 17, records show.
Here is a breakdown of who’s running in the Feb. 23, 2027, election.
Current Job: Chicago mayor
Chicago’s current mayor formally launched his campaign for reelection on Sept. 13. Johnson said the mayoral contest would pit the “corporate class” and billionaires against the “working class” — and that he was proud to fight on the side of Chicago residents struggling to make ends meet.
The former Chicago Teachers Union organizer and Cook County commissioner won in a runoff in 2023. When he announced he would run for mayor in October 2022, Johnson said he had a theory of how Chicago government could work to make it the “safest, most affordable big city in America.”
“Now we know it works,” Johnson said, acknowledging he had endured “bumps and bruises.” “But our values were more threatening to the establishment than we thought.”
Website: brandonforchicago.com
Current Job: Illinois state comptroller
Mendoza, a former state legislator and Chicago city clerk, threw her hat into the ring to become the city’s next mayor on June 3. If elected, she said she would curb City Hall spending, rebuild trust between residents and police and ensure a safe, clean and reliable CTA transit system.
Mendoza previously ran for mayor in 2019, finishing in fifth place. When Mendoza announced last year that she would not seek another term as comptroller, she said she had a “specific mission” in mind — a listening tour across Chicago to hear from residents about what they needed from the city.
“I took the time to listen, time to reflect and time to decide how I could make the biggest impact on people’s lives,” Mendoza said at a campaign launch event in Little Village.
Website: susanamendoza.com
Current Job: U.S. representative for Illinois’ 5th District
The veteran Democratic legislator, who has long considered running for mayor, officially kicked off his campaign with a speech June 27 at the Uptown Theatre.
Quigley has been in Congress since 2009. He has pledged to tackle Chicago’s budget issues and provide strong schools in every community, expanded mental health services and an abundant supply of housing.
“It’s tough to see the city you love so much struggle in the way that we are in Chicago,” Quigley said. “The fact of the matter is, Chicago has everything it needs to succeed — its location, its people, its cultural institutions, its universities, its neighborhoods — but it’s all resting on a crumbling financial foundation.”
Website: quigleyforchicago.com
Current Job: Cook County Board of Review commissioner
The longtime 12th Ward alderperson announced his plans to run for mayor June 17, promising to fix the city’s fiscal and public safety issues.
During his nearly 20 years on the Chicago City Council, Cardenas chaired its Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy and served as an ally to former Mayors Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot.
Cardenas has focused his campaign on fiscal discipline, Tax Incremental Financing reform and public safety improvements. He said his record as an elected official gives him an advantage, adding that Chicago’s current leadership has had issues with “mismanagement.”
“I think Chicago is ready for someone to govern,” Cardenas said. “I think Chicago wants someone who knows the numbers, who can bring some sense into all of the spending that’s happening. … We gotta manage this whole ecosystem and make it better.”
Website: cardenas4chicago.com
Current Job: Partner at the law firm Bartlit Beck
The former Chicago Housing Authority board chair, whom Johnson sought to oust earlier this year, entered the race June 25 seeking to replace the mayor.
The South Side native is not a career politician but comes with a diverse resume. He’s a co-owner of the iconic Wiener’s Circle and co-owns the city’s first Black-owned marijuana dispensary alongside his brother and mom. Brewer remains a board member on the Housing Authority.
“The next mayor will step into a seat that no other mayor has stepped into where we have a fully elected school board for the first time ever, less direct control over transportation, we have a fully empowered and independent City Council that’s passed budgets around, instead of with, the mayor, and all these agencies like CHA and others who’ve become a lot more independent as well. Fractured relationships in City Council, fractured relationships in Springfield. The next mayor can’t step in and put all those genies back in the bottle,” Brewer said. “We have a new day of governance, a new day of leadership. We now need a mayor for this particular moment who can wear lots of different hats, speak different languages to different people to bring everyone together around a shared vision.”
Website: mattbrewer.com
Current Job: Founder and CEO, Spring
The Michigan-born businessman became the first candidate to officially enter the 2027 race when he kicked off his campaign last fall. The founder and CEO of Spring, a wealth advisory firm, Holberg said he will prioritize growing Chicago’s economy, eliminating debt and expanding housing options.
“I’ve worked in nonprofit, I’ve worked at large companies and I even started a company and created jobs in Chicago,” Holberg said. “And I think that fresh perspective and that diversity of experiences will lend itself to being the next mayor.”
Website: joeforchicago.com
Current Job: Healthcare and public policy advisor
The former cardiologist and whistleblower launched a bid for Chicago mayor July 7. Nee began her career as a nurse and later became an interventional cardiologist. While working at Hines VA Hospital, Nee spoke out about failures in patient care that put veterans at risk.
The Humboldt Park native said her priorities include making Chicago affordable for working families; trusted leadership for a safer city; and fiscal responsibility that protects the next generation from inherited debt.
“I think the qualifications start with being a lifelong Chicagoan,” Nee said. “The other qualifications, though, have followed me on the journey from nurse to physician to whistleblower, breast cancer survivor, going into corporate, health equity and now really wanting to lead the city. I think it’s a combination of all of those things that you learn to navigate difficult situations but also learn where your leverage is and who your stakeholders are to get things solved for people.”
Website: lisaneeforchicago.com
Current Job: Illinois secretary of state
Giannoulias entered the race for Chicago mayor on Aug. 2. He is simultaneously running for a second term as secretary of state, a position he has held since 2023. Giannoulias previously served as state treasurer for four years and unsuccessfully ran as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010.
His goals for Chicago include implementing universal pre-K, raising the minimum wage and expanding affordable housing.
“Chicagoans don’t expect perfection, but they do expect leadership that listens, that rolls up its sleeves to work hard, and that loves this city as much as they do,” Giannoulias said in his announcement speech, promising to lead a “government that delivers, government that demands better, and that gets things done.”
Website: alexiforus.com
Current Job: Owner of All-Circo
The longtime lobbyist entered the race July 28. Kelly has lobbied for the White Sox and United Center and negotiated the Bally’s agreement that opened the city’s first casino.
Kelly wants the Chicago Police Department to enforce snap curfews to curb teen takeovers and said there would be 1,000 additional officers on the streets after his first year in office. Kelly wants to bring back ShotSpotter and alleges Johnson got rid of the controversial technology to hide how much crime is in the city.
“Crime and safety is how someone feels,” Kelly said. “People don’t say, ‘Oh, this crime is down a certain percentage, I feel that percentage safer.’ People in the city of Chicago, they’re as safe as they feel. Speaking with them, they’re telling me they don’t feel safe. … I don’t care what crime stats people are trying to talk about. Chicago residents do not feel safe, and they tell me that every single day. That’s why I’ve made it a center point of the campaign.”
Website: johnkellyforchi.com
Current Job: Founder, Omar Supplies, LLC
On Aug. 5, Wilson announced he was making his fourth mayoral run — having previously sought the office in 2015, 2019 and 2023. The Chicago businessman and philanthropist has run for political office numerous times over the years, including a presidential campaign in 2016 and a U.S. Senate bid in 2020.
Wilson, a self-made millionaire who founded a medical supply company, said he intends to focus on public safety and the economy.
“You need a business person to come in and fix the city,” Wilson said. “You can’t have everything social. If you drive business out, raise taxes, jobs go away and businesses leave out. What do you have left? I’m coming in to make sure we get it right. My experience is with business, as well as community, as well as understanding people. Somebody has to do something to keep the city right and keep it going. I am Chicago.”
Website: williewilson2027.com
Current Job: Co-founder, Chicago Flips Red
Carter-Walters is a co-founder of the conservative group Chicago Flips Red. The Chicago native, who has worked as a fitness trainer, is a vocal critic of Johnson and opposes sanctuary city policies. Carter-Walters is focusing her campaign on crime, education and building what she calls a “revitalized business and industrial base.”
“I’m running because I refuse to watch my hometown continue to suffer from crime, corruption, high taxes and failed leadership,” she said on her campaign website.
Website: dannicformayor.com
Current Job: Real estate developer
Ma is a real estate developer and property manager who has lived in Chicago for more than 30 years. A native of China, Ma is focusing her campaign on what she views as inequalities in the city. Ma said she wants to lower property taxes, renovate affordable homes and work to address youth poverty and homelessness.
“My journey — from a working-class Muslim family in China, to student protests in Beijing, to decades of observing inequality in Chicago — has convinced me that fighting poverty requires more than words,” Ma said on her campaign website. “I am running for mayor because I believe Chicago can become a city where opportunity is shared by all.”
Website: zoemaformayor.com
Current Job: Traffic signal repairman, Chicago Department of Transportation
Maronto lives in the Loop and works as a traffic signal repairman for the Chicago Department of Transportation. The Oak Lawn native is a member of IBEW and vice chair of the Disability Forward CHI Employee Resource Group.
Maronto is campaigning on what she calls a “No Poli-Tricks” platform aimed at calling out “systemic, transactional tactics.” Among her proposals are overhauling 311 to keep requests open until they are resolved; establishing a weekly payday for city workers earning less than $101,000 per year; creating safe spaces for teens with sponsored nightclubs; and addressing food deserts through public-private partnerships.
In a statement on why she decided to run for mayor, Maronto said: “City Hall is an inanimate object. Who is it that we need to talk to in order to fix this? The answer kept coming back to the Mayor. If the City of Chicago is so influenced by one position, then that one position is where I needed to focus my attention.”
Website: marontoforchicago.com
Current Job: Attorney
The longtime attorney is a Northwest Side native who previously worked on campaigns for former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; represented former CPS CEO Pedro Martinez in his effort to keep his job; and served as the state’s general counsel under then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, resigning shortly after the governor’s arrest. Quinlan serves as chairman of the board of Lawrence Hall, which supports youth who have been victims of violence.
Quinlan in September filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent fellow candidates U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas from seeking reelection while simultaneously running for mayor of Chicago. The suit argued the candidates are violating state election code, which says candidates cannot simultaneously seek two “incompatible” political offices, according to Capitol News Illinois. It was later dismissed by a judge.
“What’s missing from City Hall right now is leadership,” Quinlan said in a statement. “People think of themselves. They think, how do they keep their job? How do they stay in office? We are on the brink of financial collapse that was created by politicians that were worried about getting reelected.”
Website: quinlanforchicago.com
Current Job: Cook County treasurer
After nearly 30 years as Cook County treasurer, Pappas is seeking her next gig as Chicago’s mayor. The West Virginia native, who earned her doctorate and law degree in Chicago, previously served as a Cook County commissioner. She was elected treasurer in 1998.
Pappas, who is running for reelection as treasurer in the Nov. 3 general election, has said she will begin her mayoral campaign after that election.
Website: mariapappas.net
Current Job: Podcast host
The U.S. Army veteran bills himself as a Libertarian focused on fiscal reform and “Chicago’s liberation.” Kitover broadcasts his views on YouTube and said he previously worked for Fortune 500 companies, the IRS and the U.S. Census Bureau. Kitover believes Chicago should address its pension debt through bankruptcy proceedings.
He attempted to run for Congress in Illinois’ 16th District in the March 2026 Republican primary but was disqualified because he had just 266 valid signatures.
On his run for mayor, Kitover wrote on his campaign website: “We must Grow our way out of this situation through the application of Wisdom, Love, Law, Joy, Strength, and Intelligence — not more debt, not more taxes, not more of the same.”
Website: mayorkitover.com
