Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson formally submitted his nominating petitions Friday to secure his place on the ballot for the 2027 mayoral election, signaling his intention to seek a second term. Arriving just before 1 p.m. at the Chicago Board of Elections Loop Supersite, Johnson brought roughly 33,000 signatures to support his candidacy, a figure that comfortably surpasses the 12,500 valid signatures required to qualify.
Johnson’s decision to file on the second day of submissions, rather than on the first, allowed five other candidates to participate in a lottery determining ballot placement order. Those candidates—businessman Willie Wilson, lobbyist John Kelly, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Chicago Housing Authority Commissioner Matt Brewer, and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias—secured the top spots ahead of Johnson. While experts note that being listed first on the ballot confers little tangible advantage, the highly competitive field means even marginal gains are closely contested.
Declining to challenge rival candidates’ petition signatures, Johnson’s campaign chose to avoid the customary filing day scramble. His attorney, Ed Mullen, indicated that challenges are routine in Chicago electoral politics and to be expected, though Johnson himself downplayed the need for petition lotteries given his current office. “I’m the mayor of the city of Chicago,” Johnson said at the filings site. “I’m spending my time every single day delivering for the people of this city.”
Johnson’s filing came amid a challenging political landscape. Giannoulias recently secured key endorsements from two locals of the Service Employees International Union, and the mayor faced criticism over his recently leaked 2027 budget proposal. Despite this, Johnson dismissed concerns about the larger financial resources of some opponents, saying, “Do I look like I’m intimidated by rich people?”
The mayor also resisted framing his campaign around support from any one organization, including the Chicago Teachers Union, emphasizing a broader coalition of interests.
The filing period remains open through Oct. 26, and several candidates, including Comptroller Susana Mendoza and attorney William Quinlan, have yet to submit petitions. Challenges to petitions must be filed by Nov. 2. If no candidate receives a majority in the Feb. 23, 2027 election, the top two finishers will proceed to an April runoff.
Johnson’s petition count compares moderately among his peers. Giannoulias leads with approximately 60,000 signatures, Quigley follows with 42,000, and John Kelly has about 36,000. Johnson’s 33,000 places him just ahead of Brewer and Wilson, who submitted around 32,000 and 30,000 signatures, respectively.
Chicago’s rigorous petition challenge process has historically shaped candidate fields. In 2019, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle successfully removed a rival from the ballot through objections. More recently, the 2023 challenges saw no candidates disqualified, although the mayoral race that year ended with Johnson’s upset victory over incumbent Lori Lightfoot. The current filing period signals the beginning of another contentious contest for Chicago’s top office.