Former CeaseFire director Tio Hardiman is the latest candidate to jump into the 2014 running for Illinois Governor.
Having previously promised a "comeback" after the anti-violence organization CeaseFire severed ties with Hardiman earlier this year, the fifty-year-old announced his bid during a Saturday afternoon press conference in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, according to NBC Chicago.
“I just want to let everybody in Illinois know that I’m dead serious about running for governor,” Hardiman said. “I didn’t make this decision overnight. There’s a lot of good work that I’ve done as a community activist.”
Hardiman -- who occasionally blogs for Huffington Post -- praised both Democratic challengers, Bill Daley and incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn, but said "it's time for a change."
"I'm not part of the 'Good Ol' Boy' system," Hardiman said during his press conference (embedded). Hardiman also said he plans to pick a female running mate.
The Sun-Times notes as part of Hardiman's 11-point plan, he would also support a casino in Chicago.
Hardiman's announcement comes just one month after he publicly stated he was "seriously considering" a bid. DNAinfo Chicago reports Hardiman is looking to become the state's first black governor, a feat he feels he can accomplish thanks in part to his community work experience and fundraising prowess.
"I know people with deep pockets and I know how to raise money," Hardiman said. "Mayor Rahm Emanuel is lucky I live in [west suburban] Hillside because if I lived in Chicago I would be running for mayor."
In May, Hardiman was arrested for domestic battery of his wife. Though the charges were later dropped, CeaseFire severed ties with Hardiman after more than a decade.
The Sun-Times reports Hardiman says his wife is “100 percent” behind his gubernatorial ambitions.
Hardiman will make his bid official when files with the Illinois Board of Elections Monday.
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