Update: Hey, Tom Dart’s “in”.
Update IV: Valerie Jarrett? Sounds plausible.
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Update VI: I like Miner’s take on the flipside of “Chicago’s going to suck to be mayor of”: “Only the worst demagogues can’t imagine anyone but themselves correcting their own mistakes.”
Eric Zorn isn’t surprised that Mayor Daley isn’t running for reelection, but my reaction is similar to Rich Miller’s: “My first thought is I never figured he’d go out while he’s held in such low regard.” And it’s not just declining popularity. Daley’s big projects of the past few years—in the wake of Millennium Park—have either been unsuccessful (the Olympic bid), troubled (O’Hare expansion, Block 37, the O’Hare express train), or unpopular (the privatization of the parking meters).
- Who will replace him? REPLY HAZY ASK AGAIN. Rahm Emanuel and Lisa Madigan are the only two remotely possible candidates who would be sure bets if either ran, but I wouldn’t bet on either actually running (maybe next time). My guess is that Bob Fioretti, Tom Dart, Scott Waguespack, Miguel Del Valle, James Meeks, Forrest Claypool, David Hoffman, and James Houlihan will all at least dip their toes in. Of those, maybe Tom Dart might be a frontrunner, but all this needs to sink in first.
