On Wednesday, TIME magazine reported that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel could leave the White House in October to campaign for mayor of Chicago--and Chicago is expecting him.
On Thursday, Rep. Danny Davis told Chicago Public Radio that he had a meeting with Emanuel Tuesday night, and came out of that meeting "90 percent sure" that Emanuel would be running for mayor. Davis, who has also been collecting signatures for a potential mayoral run, said he is not so sure about throwing his own hat in the ring, but hopes for a "positive, solutions-oriented" campaign season.
Emanuel, who has previously met with Jesse Jackson Jr. to discuss his mayoral ambitions, also met with Rep. Mike Quigley Wednesday night in Washington. NBC Chicago reports:
The discussion is said to have focused on Quigley's interest in Tax Increment Financing and how TIF money might be used for schools and other city expenses.
"He left the impression he's running," said Quigley, adding that he believes the departure would be "very soon."
If Emanuel does decide to run, he really should make it official "very soon." While the list of confirmed candidates remains fairly short, popular Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is considered a sure thing candidate, a source told the Associated Press. Also, Rev. James Meeks has been gathering a considerable amount of support.
One person Emanuel has not decided to meet up with is Dart, as the New York Times pointed out Thursday:
One person who Mr. Emanuel has not recently reached out to is Thomas J. Dart, the Cook County sheriff who has expressed an interest in running. (Mr. Emanuel has confidently pointed out that he holds a double-digit advantage over Mr. Dart, according to people familiar with the talks, even though other Democrats say a poll paid for by Mr. Emanuel is hardly an objective or definitive take on the race.)
Could there be a new sheriff in town? Dart says not so fast:
"You know, if I make my decision to run, it's going to be because I think I'll be the best person for the job," Dart told FOX Chicago. "The fact that anybody has more money than me, the fact that anybody has more connections to Washington is really not what --- people these days are looking for somebody who's sincere, thoughtful, really cares."