Chicago Ald. Sources say Tom Tunney will not run for mayor

In a potential break for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Ald. According to several sources, Tom Tunney will not challenge her in the 2023 election.

Tunney, who represents Lakeview and Wrigleyville on the City Council and owns Ann Sather’s restaurant, has been mulling a run for weeks and poses a potentially big threat to Lightfoot as his candidacy could split her initial base of support on the North Side.

But Tunney, who previously considered bids for the mayor’s top job, decided not to run against Lightfoot.

For years, Tunney has feuded with the Ricketts family, which owns the Chicago Cubs, over night games, parking, hotel development, garbage collection and the stadium shuttle, though Tunney was easily re-elected in the 44th District in 2019. He was the city’s first openly gay alderman.

In 2019, Tunney endorsed Lightfoot in a runoff against Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle, and Lightfoot rewarded him by selecting him as chairman of the zoning committee.

He has been flirting for months with a potential candidacy that could draw strong support from the city’s business community. More importantly, Tunney could enter Lightfoot’s original base. Lightfoot emerged from a crowded field in 2019 thanks in large part to her strong support in the Lake North Side, where mostly white liberals voted for her campaign.

Since then, Lightfoot has lost popularity on the North Side and tried to woo black voters on the South and West Sides to build a new political base, though she has not given up on the lakefront and will try to win back her old supporters.

It’s potentially easier without Tanya in the race.

Tanya’s withdrawal leaves 10 candidates in the Feb. 28 election, including Lightfoot, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Ald. Sophia King, 4th, activist Ja’Mal Green, Ald. Roderick Sawyer, Former CPS Superintendent Paul Wallace, State Rep. Cambium “Kam” Buckner, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, business owner Willie Wilson and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. If no one gets at least 50% of the votes, the second round will take place on April 4.

Tunney has been an alderman on his north side for 20 years. In August he joined the long list council members who said they will not ask voters next year for another term. But speculation continued that he was considering running for mayor instead.

Just this week, he voted against Lightfoot’s $16 billion budget for 2023 after a speech in which he cited public security spending among other issues. “My residents don’t feel safe,” he said.