Congressman Danny Davis says he’s circulating nominating petitions to run for Chicago mayor. But the candidacy is not a sure thing.
Davis says in a statement he has decided to “formally explore the possibility of running for mayor” and has started collecting signatures to get on the ballot. He hopes to fill what he calls a “tremendous leadership void” created by Mayor Richard Daley’s upcoming retirement. It would be a return to City Hall for Davis, who served as an alderman through the 1980s.
The announcement today is for an “exploratory” committee, though a spokeswoman says she’s more than 90-percent sure that Davis will enter the race. Last year Davis flirted for months with a campaign for president of the Cook County Board. He even turned in petitions to get on the ballot, only to withdraw them at the last minute and run for re-election to the U.S. House.
Two other Chicago congressmen, Luis Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson, Jr., also have said they’re considering campaigns for mayor.