Congressman Mike Quigley to run for mayor of Chicago in 2027, saying city is "in crisis"

Saying "Chicago is in crisis," U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley said he plans to run for mayor in 2027, even as he is in the midst of a congressional re-election campaign.

"There's more than unites in Chicago than divides us, and that's what's spurs me to do this," he said.

Quigley's name has been floated in previous election cycles, but he's never dipped his toe in the race until now.

The nine-term congressman, who is running for re-election in 2026, explained why he wants the top job on the 5th floor at City Hall.

"Chicago is in crisis. I love this city. I've given most my adult life to public service in Chicago. But I see it in a situation where someone has to lead at a time when there's a lack of leadership. Willingness to make extortionary difficult decisions; those are the kind of decisions I've made my entire public life," he said.

He said the city can't continue to tax its way out of financial trouble. Instead, he suggested a pro-business approach to help Chicago grow. 

"Right now, we're at a pivot point. The crossroads were probably a decade ago, but right now we are in a crisis mode where we could face insolvency if we aren't making those tough choices," he said.

For nearly two decades, Quigley has represented the 5th Congressional District in Illinois, which includes the North Side of Chicago and several northern and northwest suburbs. Before that, he served more than 20 years as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Quigley has filed for re-election for his current seat in Congress and faces four challengers in the Democratic primary election in March.

Still, he's already started raising money and building his war chest for a bid for mayor in an election that's more than a year away.

While Mayor Brandon Johnson has not confirmed if he will run for re-election, at least two other candidates have announced their intentions on running for mayor – Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and entrepreneur Joe Holberg.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza also are seen as potential mayoral candidates.

"I've been in crowded races before. Running for county board, crowded race, outspent 2-1. I won. Running for Congress? 20-something people in the race, outspent 10-1, and I won. It has a lot to do with who you are as a candidate that makes you the most viable," he said.

Quigley acknowledged he's a Green Bay Packers fan who will be rooting against the Chicago Bears in their playoff matchup this weekend. He said his father was a big Vince Lombardi fan, and he's still loyal to his dad and to the Packers despite living in Chicago.

"You have to be authentic. I'm trying to tell the people of the city of Chicago that lawmakers have to be honest with them. Our problems come when we're not honest," he said. "If voters make a decision based on the teams you root for, we all have a big problem."

For what it's worth, Quigley said he's also a lifelong Cubs and Blackhawks fan.