Richard Boykin

Chicago mayoral candidate William J. Quinlan has filed a lawsuit against fellow contenders Alexi Giannoulias, Mike Quigley and Maria Pappas, arguing they cannot legally run for mayor while also seeking reelection to their current offices. Quinlan's suit cites the Illinois Election Code, which requires candidates seeking two "incompatible" offices to withdraw from all but one if they could not serve in both simultaneously. Quinlan is asking for an expedited hearing and ruling before October 18.

The three defendants are up for reelection this November to their existing posts — secretary of state, Congress, and Cook County treasurer, respectively — while the Chicago mayoral race takes place next year, meaning none currently holds a city office. The Quigley campaign has dismissed the suit as frivolous, while a Giannoulias spokesperson said he remains focused on Chicago issues rather than the litigation. Candidate Willie Wilson has separately raised ethical objections to the practice. The stakes are especially notable for Giannoulias, who has built a roughly $22 million campaign fund. Courts will now decide whether the rivals can remain on ballots for both their current offices and mayor.

Illinois Democrats gathered at the state fair in Springfield for their annual Democrats' Day, with Gov. JB Pritzker, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivering anti-Trump speeches while downplaying ideological rifts roiling the national party. Warren praised Senate candidate Juliana Stratton for standing up to AIPAC and corporate PACs, touching on divisions over Israel-Gaza policy and campaign finance that have proven more combustible elsewhere. But the celebratory tone was clouded by House Speaker Chris Welch's handling of a sexual harassment scandal involving former Rep. Harry Benton, and the recent indictment of Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband on fraud charges. Welch skipped the main event; three House Democrats have refused to join his working group on the harassment issue, calling its formation flawed.

A day later, Republicans held their own fairground rally, with Gov. candidate Darren Bailey and running mate Aaron Del Mar attacking Pritzker over cost of living, public safety and schools while avoiding mention of Trump. Senate candidate Don Tracy branded Stratton and Democratic Socialist allies as extreme, and House GOP leader Tony McCombie renewed criticism of Welch. Separately, the DNC narrowed its 2028 convention host shortlist to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, excluding Chicago, which hosted in 2024 and remains in contention for 2032. Pritzker's campaign also launched a TV ad branding Bailey as extreme ahead of November.