CHICAGO (WGN) — In the 2026/2027 game of chess, another piece has moved.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is signaling she might be eyeing a different office. Mendoza, first elected in 2016, may skip the all-important Cook County Democratic Party slating meeting later this week.
"That, to me, is kind of like a trigger point. I know her folks are saying, ‘Well, it’s kind of a pro forma thing and they could still slate her if she didn’t show up,’ But I think not showing up is an indication of how, as her people have pledged, she’s only going to run for one office, she’s not going to run for two offices," said Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson.
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A spokesman for Mendoza said in a statement that the comptroller is "weighing her options. This is what (she’s) been saying for weeks and it has not changed. She will make her decision on her own timetable."
Mendoza, credited with retiring a multi-billion-dollar bill backlog for the state, has positioned herself as a fierce critic of progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Mendoza recently penned a Tribune op-ed ripping Johnson’s handling of Chicago Public School finances, fueling speculation that Mendoza could run for mayor in 2027.
"She questions his competence (and) his financial acumen," Pearson said. "The comptroller position kind of gave her a platform, an elevated platform, as she puts the heat on him."
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Mendoza ran before in 2019, when she placed fifth in the crowded contest with 9 percent of the vote.
Much like the last two elections, the 2027 mayoral contest will likely be crowded with several high-profile names generating buzz, including Mendoza, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Congressman Mike Quigley, Alderman Bill Conway, City Clerk Anna Valencia, and former CPS CEO Janice Jackson.
"Because of what we’ve seen in polling about the mayor, people sense an opportunity here," Pearson said.
Mayor Brandson Johnson has not officially launched a re-election effort. Nobody is running yet. But speculation will only keep building over the next year and a half.
Region: Chicago,Politics,City: Chicago
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July 15, 2025 at 06:31PM
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