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Giannoulias enters 2027 race
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias officially joined the crowded Chicago mayoral race on Sunday, launching his campaign at an event in Bronzeville at the IBEW Hall and telling supporters, "I am thrilled, honored, and deeply humbled to announce that I am running to be the next mayor of the city."
“"I am thrilled, honored, and deeply humbled to announce that I am running to be the next mayor of the city"”
The 2027 municipal election is set for Feb. 23, 2027, and if no candidate gets a majority, the top two finishers will face off in a runoff election on April 6, 2027.
Giannoulias’ entry came as incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to announce whether he’ll run for a second term, and Johnson said in late July, "I'm just saying right now, I'm focused on building safe and affordable communities, and we're going to count on the city of Chicago to help us continue to build that."
CBS News and other outlets framed the race as already underway, with candidates beginning to circulate nominating petitions on July 28 and needing to file them with the Chicago Board of Elections by Oct. 26, 2026.
Giannoulias’ campaign also positioned him as a competitor with a large war chest, with ABC7 Chicago reporting he enters the race with a $22 million campaign fund bolstered by four unions that each contributed $1 million earlier this year.
Campaign messaging and attacks
Giannoulias told supporters he offers voters "a track record of getting things done," adding, "People want competence. People want to know that someone is there that will get things done, that will cut bureaucracy, that will reduce waste, that will make government easier."
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Giannoulias cast himself as a coalition builder and said Johnson’s leadership "has not met the moment," even as he argued Johnson’s "heart's in the right place."
At the same time, the Chicago Tribune described Giannoulias’ rollout as a consensus pitch that sought to unite Chicagoans, quoting him saying, "Not leadership that seeks to divide us, but that tries to unite us, that focuses on our common goals and dreams for our families."
Giannoulias’ campaign also tied his message to his record as secretary of state, with ABC7 Chicago noting he pointed to upgrades made during his tenure, including improvements to drivers license facilities.
In the broader field, CBS News listed other declared candidates including Susana Mendoza, who said, "Chicago has tossed mayors out of office for blizzards, corruption and incompetence," and Mike Quigley, who said, "Chicago is in crisis. I love this city."
What’s at stake next
With the election timeline set for Feb. 23, 2027 and a possible runoff on April 6, 2027, the race is already shaping up around how candidates say they will govern if they win.
“"Tax fairness is not about punishing success. It’s about rewarding work."”
Giannoulias’ campaign messaging emphasized universal pre-K and raising the minimum wage, and the Chicago Tribune reported he called for citywide universal pre-K and said, "Tax fairness is not about punishing success. It’s about rewarding work."
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Giannoulias promised to hire 1,000 additional Chicago police officers by 2030 and bring back ShotSpotter, while also saying Johnson’s leadership “has not met the moment,” in criticizing Johnson’s approach.
CBS News reported that Brandon Johnson has yet to announce whether he’ll run for a second term, and it noted Johnson won his first term with the backing of CTU, which contributed more than $2.4 million to his campaign.
As the field expands, ABC7 Chicago reported Giannoulias enters the race with a $22 million campaign fund and said he was surrounded by union members at the IBEW Hall, with five city council members attending his rally including 37th Ward Ald. Emma Mitts.
