6 Chicago mayoral candidates filed petitions Monday; Lightfoot, García is not among them – NBC Chicago

Candidates who filed petitions on Monday will be eligible to be the first on the February municipal ballot in Chicago, and while six mayoral candidates have filed, the incumbent and one of her main rivals have not. .

According to the Chicago Board of Elections, six of the potential candidates seeking to unseat Mayor Lori Lightfoot filed their nomination petitions Monday, the first day they were able to do so.

That group includes Cook County Council Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who has received high-level union endorsements from the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU locals.

Chicago Ald. Sophia King also filed her petitions on Monday, as did former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas.

Businessman and philanthropist Dr. Willie Wilson, running for mayor for the third time, also filed his petitions, as did Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner.

Community activist Ja’Mal Green filed his petitions when the doors opened on Monday, officials said.

Candidates interested in running for mayor are required to obtain at least 12,500 signatures from registered voters in order to be placed on the ballot. Most candidates will get significantly higher numbers to survive potential challenges before the Chicago Board of Elections, with candidates being removed from the ballot if they drop below that threshold.

Applicants who filed on day one will be entered into a lottery to determine which of their names will appear at the top of the list, a potential advantage in a crowded field.

Lightfoot, who is seeking a second term, said last week that she plans to file her nomination petitions next Monday, the last day potential candidates will be allowed to do so. That would put her in the running

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, who finished second in a 2015 runoff with former mayor Rahm Emanuel, also failed to file his petitions on Monday.

Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer has not filed his petitions, nor has former Chicago police officer Frederick Collins, according to CBOE officials.

Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez announced on Monday that he would drop out of the mayoral race and instead filed petitions to defend his seat on the City Council of 15^e Ward, according to officials.

Interested candidates have until Monday to file their petitions. Challenges to those petitions will then be heard by the Chicago Board of Elections before the final ballot is set for next month.

The municipal election will take place on February 28. If no candidate in a given race receives at least 50% of the vote, a second round will take place on April 4 between the first two voters.

Chicago’s last two mayoral elections have been in the runoff, including in 2019 when Lightfoot defeated Cook County Council Speaker Toni Preckwinkle. In 2015, Emanuel beat García in a hotly contested race.