The Chicago mayor election is a nonpartisan race in which every candidate appears on the same February ballot regardless of party, and the winner must take a majority or face a runoff in April. The next one is scheduled for February 23, 2027, with an April runoff if no one clears 50 percent.1Chicago Board of Ethics. A Guide for Candidates to Elected Office of the City of Chicago for the 2027 Elections The mayor serves a four-year term, and there are no term limits.
Who Can Run
Illinois law sets three requirements. A candidate must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter in Chicago, and a resident of the city for at least one full year before the election.2Justia Law. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5 – Qualifications; Elective Office
Two things will keep a winner from being sworn in. Anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, or perjury in any U.S. court is ineligible unless their citizenship rights have been restored through a governor’s pardon or another legal process. And anyone who owes unpaid taxes or other debts to the city at the time of the oath cannot take office.2Justia Law. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5 – Qualifications; Elective Office
Getting on the Ballot
Eligibility is only the start. Candidates file a packet with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners that includes a Statement of Candidacy and a Statement of Economic Interests disclosing financial holdings and potential conflicts. Missing the filing window or turning in incomplete paperwork can end a campaign before voters see the name.1Chicago Board of Ethics. A Guide for Candidates to Elected Office of the City of Chicago for the 2027 Elections
The signature requirement is where campaigns most often stumble. A mayoral candidate must collect at least 12,500 valid signatures from registered Chicago voters.3Chicago Board of Elections. 2023 Municipal, Alderperson, and District Council Elections Quick Reference Guide Each petition sheet has to carry the candidate’s name and the office sought, every signer has to give a full legal name and current home address so registration can be verified, and the circulator of each sheet has to sign a statement swearing they personally witnessed every signature on that page. Serious campaigns collect well above 12,500 as a cushion, because falling under after verification means the candidate is off the ballot.
Challenges to a Candidate’s Petitions
Opponents and voters can formally challenge nominating petitions. Objections have to be filed in writing within five business days after the last day for filing nomination papers, and missing that window waives them permanently.4Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. How to Navigate the Candidate Petition Challenge Process
Once an objection is filed, an electoral board convenes within three to five days. The challenger carries the burden of proof and has to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the petitions are deficient. Common grounds include forged signatures, signers who are not registered in Chicago, and technical errors on the sheets. These proceedings turn adversarial quickly and have ended campaigns that looked viable on paper.4Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. How to Navigate the Candidate Petition Challenge Process
How the Vote Works
The election is governed by the Revised Cities and Villages Act, which requires the nonpartisan format. Every qualified candidate appears on a single ballot at the consolidated primary election held in February of the appropriate odd-numbered year. If any candidate takes a majority of votes cast, that candidate wins outright.5Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 20/21-5 – Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941
When no one clears that threshold, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff at the consolidated election in April. Only those two names appear on the runoff ballot, and the higher vote total wins. Runoffs have been common in recent Chicago races because the fields tend to be crowded. In 2023, nine candidates were on the February ballot and the race went to an April runoff.5Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 20/21-5 – Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941
Inauguration follows in May after the results are certified. Mayor Brandon Johnson was inaugurated on May 15, 2023.6City of Chicago. Inauguration of Mayor Brandon Johnson
Money Rules
Illinois sets contribution limits per election cycle that apply to Chicago mayoral candidates. An individual can give up to $7,300 to a candidate’s committee. Corporations, labor unions, and associations can give up to $14,600. Political action committees and other candidate committees can give up to $72,800.7Illinois State Board of Elections. Contribution Limits
Those caps can vanish. If any candidate in the race spends $100,000 or more of their own money, or if independent expenditure spending on the race tops $100,000, the contribution limits are lifted for every candidate in that race for the rest of the cycle.8Illinois State Board of Elections. Contribution Limits Off Search In a race the size of Chicago’s, that trigger gets hit regularly, and the contest effectively becomes an unlimited-contribution one.
Candidates file quarterly D-2 reports listing contributions and expenditures. Any single contribution of $1,000 or more also triggers a separate A-1 filing. Exact deadlines come out each year in the Illinois State Board of Elections’ campaign disclosure calendar.9Illinois State Board of Elections. Campaign Disclosure Menu
Term Length and What Happens If the Seat Opens Up
The mayor’s term is four years, and the officeholder stays in the seat until a successor is elected and qualified.10Justia Law. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-15-10 – Mayor; President There are no term limits. Richard M. Daley was elected six times and served 22 consecutive years.
If the seat becomes vacant with at least 28 months left in the term and before the petition filing period for the next general municipal election, a special election fills out the remainder at the next scheduled municipal election. In the meantime, the City Council picks one of its own members to serve as acting mayor with full mayoral powers. If the vacancy comes with fewer than 28 months remaining, no special election is held and the acting mayor picked by the council finishes the term.11Justia Law. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50 – Vacancies in Municipal Offices
Illinois does not currently have a recall mechanism for the Chicago mayor. Legislation to create one has been proposed over the years, but no recall law has been enacted. Removing a sitting mayor before the term ends can happen only through legal proceedings or resignation.