CHICAGO — Monday morning, the Chicago Board of Elections Loop Super Site filled up with a motley collection of political power players, good government enthusiasts, wannabes, optimists, has-beens, never-wases and other characters looking to stamp their ticket to City Hall for the next four years.
Candidates who showed up on the first day to file petition signatures and get in line by 9 a.m. — and those included several for mayor but not incumbent Lori Lightfoot — earned a shot at appearing on the top of the ballot in their race, a spot that consultants say gives candidates a modest leg up in elections that sometimes come down to the very last vote.
There were 10 announced candidates leading into the first day of filing, giving many a chance to show off their organizational might. But that number was reduced by one Monday, with 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez announcing he won’t seek the top job at City Hall but will instead run for reelection.
