Chicago Mayoral Petitions Face Challenges

Twelve candidates for Chicago mayor are facing petition challenges ahead of the February election.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Elections

Chicago Mayoral Petitions Face Challenges

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Challenges have been filed against the petitions of twelve Chicago mayoral candidates, including incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is facing a petition challenge for the first time as an incumbent. Candidates need 12,500 valid signatures to appear on the Chicago ballot.

Why it matters

The challenges allege invalid signatures and photocopied petitions, which violate election rules, and could determine which candidates appear on the ballot in Chicago's mayoral race. Separate challenges also question the eligibility of several statewide officials and candidates seeking reelection.

Twelve mayoral candidates face petition challenges, and candidates must submit at least 12,500 valid signatures to appear on the ballot. Whether the challenged petitions will be upheld has not yet been determined.

The players

Brandon Johnson

Brandon Johnson is the mayor of Chicago, serving as an incumbent who is seeking reelection and whose petitions are being challenged for the first time in that role.

Alexi Giannoulias

Alexi Giannoulias is the Illinois Secretary of State, a former state treasurer and banker who faces a challenge alleging he cannot simultaneously run for reelection as Secretary of State and for mayor.

Chicago Board of Elections

The Chicago Board of Elections is the municipal body responsible for administering Chicago's elections and assigning hearing officers to resolve petition challenges.

The details

Challenges were filed in the lead-up to a petition filing deadline that passed the prior week. The Chicago Board of Elections will assign hearing officers to each petition challenge at its Monday meeting.

Petition filing deadline passed the week before publication.
The Board of Elections will assign hearing officers to petition challenges on the Monday following publication.
Hearings on the ballot challenges will occur in the coming weeks.
The Chicago mayoral election will take place on the final Tuesday of February 2027.
A run-off election would take place in April 2027 if no candidate wins a majority.

Political Context

Chicago's petition process under Illinois election law requires candidates to gather valid signatures before appearing on the ballot. Opponents are testing whether these requirements are being followed by a sitting mayor and several statewide officeholders.

The outcome of these challenges will determine which candidates Chicago voters can choose from in the February election. Candidates who fail to qualify will not appear on the ballot, narrowing the options available to voters.

The takeaway

Ballot access rules shape which candidates voters can consider, so petition challenges can matter as much as the campaigns themselves. Watching the Board of Elections hearings will show which candidates qualify for the February contest.

What happens next

The Chicago Board of Elections will assign hearing officers to petition challenges at its Monday meeting, with hearings expected in the coming weeks before the February 2027 mayoral election.