Chicago Mayoral Race 2027: Candidates File Petitions

The search term “chicago” is spiking in Canada’s Law and Government trends this week, and the story behind it is the 2027 Chicago mayoral race. Candidates began filing nominating petitions on Monday, and by Friday incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson had formally entered the race for a second term — late, but with 33,000 signatures in hand.

Here is everything we know about the Chicago mayoral race filing week.

Chicago mayoral race: who filed on day one

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, businessman Willie Wilson, lobbyist John Kelly and former Chicago Housing Authority board chair Matt Brewer all filed nominating petitions on Monday, when the filing period opened for the February 23, 2027 municipal election, WTTW reported via the Sangamon Local Digest.

Giannoulias, the early frontrunner, said he submitted 60,000 signatures — nearly five times the 12,500 valid signatures candidates need to make the ballot. John Kelly estimated he turned in more than 36,000, Wilson an estimated 35,000, and Brewer said he submitted “over 32,000”, according to the Chicago Sun-Times morning newsletter. Candidates routinely turn in double or triple the required number to survive validity challenges.

Johnson files late for a second term

Mayor Brandon Johnson did not file on Monday, giving up his shot at the top ballot spot — and neither did Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, George Cardenas or Maria Pappas, whose spokespeople said they plan to file later.

Johnson filed on Friday, formally submitting nominating petitions with about 33,000 signatures, backed by roughly 2,500 volunteers. He told reporters he will not challenge other candidates’ petitions, Particle reported.

The incumbent enters the campaign with clear headwinds. A recent NORC poll put his approval rating at 22%, the Service Employees International Union has withdrawn its support, and his campaign cash balance is roughly $379,471 — against Giannoulias’ reported $19 million war chest.

The ballot lottery: a Chicago mayoral race tradition

Chicago has a quirk that makes filing day matter. Candidates who turn in their signatures first thing on Monday enter a lottery for the coveted first spot on the ballot, while those who wait until the last day, October 26, enter a lottery for the last place. Everything is about avoiding an overlooked name in the middle of a pack of candidates.

Johnson downplayed the lottery after filing late. Meanwhile Willie Wilson told reporters he plans to challenge “everyone”, setting up a bruising round of petition challenges in the weeks ahead.

Key dates in the Chicago mayoral race

• 26 October, 5pm: nominating petitions due
• After filing: petition challenges and hearings
• 17 December: officials certify all candidates on the ballot
• 23 February 2027: election day
• 6 April 2027: runoff, if no candidate passes 50%

The latest Mansueto Institute/NORC poll had Giannoulias at 25% among likely voters and Johnson at 13.6%, with 34% still unsure — leaving the race wide open heading into petition challenges.

Why investors watch the Chicago mayoral race

City budgets shape municipal bond markets and local business costs, and this race is already running on fiscal scrutiny. City Council budget committee members recently met with an Ernst & Young consultant and said the Johnson administration has implemented only a fraction of recommended savings — a line of attack that will follow the mayor through the campaign.

Policy risk is a factor traders price in at every level of government. You can track how US lawmakers trade with Meyka’s Senate trades tracker, run scans on the US stock screener to spot policy-sensitive moves, and read more election and regulation stories in our Law and Government archive.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.