A Cook County judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by Chicago mayoral candidate William J. Quinlan that sought to force three rivals to choose between seeking reelection this fall and running for mayor early next year.
Quinlan had sued Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, all Democrats. All three are on the Nov. 3 ballot for new terms in their current offices, and Giannoulias and Quigley have formally announced their plans to run for Chicago mayor; Pappas has repeatedly said she intends to run for mayor.
Circuit Judge Eve M. Reilly’s decision centered largely on whether the case was “ripe” for consideration, as she noted none of the three have filed nominating petitions and that “people change their minds.” Beginning Monday, candidates will have a week to file for city elections, including mayor. The city election is Feb. 23, 2027, with a runoff on April 6
A lawyer, Quinlan said after the ruling that he planned to appeal Reilly’s ruling.
Quinlan’s lawsuit hinged on a 2024 change to Illinois’ election code that moved the deadline for mayoral candidates to file nominating petitions to Oct. 26, eight days before the general election. Under the old rules, the mayoral filing deadline fell after the general election, avoiding the overlap.
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Because municipal elections are held in odd years and state and county elections in even years, Illinois politicians have long run for one type of office while holding the other.
Quinlan had argued that if the court sided with him and the three didn’t withdraw from the November election, they “would be disqualified from running for one or both of the offices they seek and any votes cast for them would be invalidated,” opening a path for their Nov. 3 challengers to win.
Immediately before ruling, Reilly questioned what hardship Quinlan would suffer without a ruling in his favor. And she said objections to nominating petitions go first to the electoral board, though courts can review them.
Win or lose, the legal fight provides Quinlan a politically strategic vehicle to raise the dual-office question against his mayoral race rivals.
So far, at least 10 candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to unseat incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson.