CHICAGO () — Chicago’s 2027 mayoral contest is already heating up, with candidates trading pointed criticism nearly seven months before voters head to the polls.
The latest round of political sparring came one day after Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias officially entered the race. Mayor Brandon Johnson took aim at the role of wealthy donors in Chicago politics, while fellow mayoral hopeful Susana Mendoza drew attention to past controversies involving Giannoulias.
Giannoulias announced his campaign on Sunday, immediately positioning himself as one of the most prominent early contenders in the crowded field.
“I believe fundamentally that government can be both competent and compassionate,” Giannoulias said as he kicked off his bid for mayor.
By Monday, Giannoulias was already on the campaign trail, meeting commuters at a Chicago Transit Authority station and collecting petition signatures.
“He proved it by walking up to me and talking to me like a person, instead of a voter,” commuter Victoria Johnson said.
Giannoulias enters the Chicago mayoral race with a sizable financial advantage, having built a $22 million political war chest. Earlier this year, four unions each contributed $1 million to his campaign. His team has also highlighted support from labor groups and business figures, including Michael Sacks and Matthew Pritzker, who each donated $500,000.
His campaign is centering its message on affordable housing, a fairer tax code and support for working people. At the CTA Roosevelt Station, several commuters said Giannoulias’ approachable style stood out as he made his pitch directly to voters.
“He gets out with the people,” commuter Deran Carpenter said. “He talks to the people. He’s real considerate of the things that he does. And also know that he never makes promises, he just handles the situations that he can handle.”
“I just of all the people that’s running, including my current mayor, who has not announced if he’s going to run again. I think he’s the better choice,” Craig Sims said.
But other supporters say if Johnson puts his hand up for reelection, it might change their minds.
“I’m always a big fan of, you know, the incumbent,” commuter Michael Esquivel said.
Johnson signals potential reelection bid, appears to take aim at Giannoulias’ financial supporters
Johnson, meanwhile, signaled that he may be preparing for a reelection bid even though he has not formally declared.
Speaking at an unrelated event, said the mayor said he remains focused on governing but acknowledged the political maneuvering already underway.
“As far as the politics of Chicago, there’s a reason why we call it the Windy City, right? You’ll have different waves and people blowing in and out, but the thing that’s most constant and what’s most still and what remains today is the Johnson administration,” he said.
Johnson also appeared to take aim at Giannoulias’ financial supporters.
“You have corporate interests that are putting more in campaigns than they are in their taxes,” Johnson said.
And Johnson said instead of focusing on the future, he said he is working in the challenges Chicago is facing now.
“I am committed to building the safest most affordable big city in America and we are doing that,” Johnson said. “There is more economic prowess and activity that is coming through our city than we have seen in a generation. There is no mayor in modern history that can say that they have overseen the city at a time when economic development is going up and crime is going down. My focus remains to continue to make the Investments in our neighborhoods.”
The mayor also emphasized his own leadership credentials.
“And so, the people of Chicago deserve not just political labels. They deserve someone who was willing to lead not just with compassion and conviction, with yes, with competency,” Johnson said.
When asked whether he would describe Giannoulias as a moderate, Johnson offered a brief response.
“He’s the secretary of state,” Johnson said.
ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said Johnson appears focused on keeping attention away from ideological labels.
“I think he wants to make sure that Alexi is not seen as a progressive, and he doesn’t want to talk about his politics at all. He wants to stick to what he may see as his abilities to be mayor, and, what has he done?” Washington said.
Some mayoral candidates also seeking reelection in their current positions
Giannoulias’ entry has also drawn criticism from fellow mayoral candidate Mendoza, who questioned his decision to run for mayor while also seeking reelection as secretary of state.
“I’m all in for Chicago. I think Alexi, by choosing to keep this job while he interviews for the next, has chosen to be all in for Alexi. I’m all in for Chicago,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza, who is not seeking another term as comptroller, previously ran for mayor eight years ago while also running for reelection. She said her situation then was different.
“I had already been reelected in my primary, and I was only two months away from the general. And if I had left that job at that time, Governor Rauner would have had complete appointment power of my position,” she said.
Giannoulias defended his decision to stay in his current office while campaigning.
“Running for mayor is like interviewing for a job, a really hard job. Just like anything else, when you’re running for a job, you don’t quit the one you’re in while you’re interviewing for that one,” he said.
Among the 10 declared candidates for mayor, three others – Congressman Mike Quigley, Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas, and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas – are also running for reelection in November.
Washington said voters may take issue with candidates seeking two offices at once.
“I think voters should be concerned about this because they’re pledging to run for one office when actually they’re looking at another, and they aren’t necessarily making a commitment to the office that they’re expecting to get elected to,” she said.
Mendoza questions Giannoulias’ past
Meanwhile, Mendoza also said voters should closely examine Giannoulias’ record before he became secretary of state.
“I think when you’re applying for a new job, as he said he’s doing, you should present the whole resume to the city of Chicago,” Mendoza said.
She specifically referenced Giannoulias’ role at his family’s Broadway Bank.
“And that includes, you know, his job as senior loan officer of a failed bank that was seized by the feds for losing many people’s money and giving over 20 million dollars in loans to mobsters,” Mendoza said.
The bank’s collapse occurred during the Great Recession, when the bursting real estate bubble contributed to the failure of hundreds of banks.
In response, the Giannoulias campaign issued a statement defending the candidate and criticizing Mendoza’s attacks, saying, “Voters are tired of career politicians recycling the same old lies from more than 15 years ago to get attention. Alexi has assembled a coalition of support because he’s focused on making the city safer and more affordable– the things voters actually care about.”
While Giannoulias has turned his attention to the 2027 campaign, Johnson has not yet announced whether he will seek reelection.
“I think between the two of them, if the mayor decides to get in, they will be seen. The two of them will be seen as the people to beat,” Washington said.
Additional potential contenders are still weighing whether to enter the mayoral contest. While the race is already drawing attention, analysts say most voters are unlikely to focus on the contest until Johnson announces his plans and the election draws closer.
As the field continues to develop, candidates are increasingly focusing on experience, records, and qualifications as they make their case to voters.
