U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley on Thursday announced he will not run for Chicago mayor in 2023, ending weeks of speculation that began earlier this month when he launched a local political campaign committee and polled potential voters about his potential candidacy.
A longtime Chicago resident who has been congressman of Illinois’ 5th Congressional District since 2009, Quigley said in a statement released Thursday morning that he considered running for mayor but couldn’t due to the crisis in Ukraine.
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“After much consideration, I simply cannot walk away from my duty to safeguard democracy, fight for American values abroad, and stand up for the brave Ukrainian people in their time of maximum peril. Campaigning to serve as Mayor of Chicago would not allow me to fulfill this critical obligation,” said Quigley, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and also co-chair of the House Ukrainian Caucus.
Quigley said he recently returned from an official trip to the Ukraine-Poland border and said running for Chicago mayor would interfere with his focus on “stopping Putin’s genocidal war in Ukraine.”
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Earlier this month, Quigley created a local political committee named “Quigley for Chicago.” The paperwork filed in connection with its formation stated the committee’s purpose was “To Support Mike Quigley for Public Office.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not formally declared that she will run for reelection but it is widely expected that she will seek a second term. In January, she told the Tribune her work as mayor isn’t done “and I’m yielding to no one.”
Chicago businessman Willie Wilson has announced he intends to run for mayor. Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, has also announced he intends to run.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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