Preckwinkle Opts Not to Challenge Emanuel for Chicago Mayor's Job

Toni Preckwinkle says she will not run for mayor of Chicago. Her announcement comes shortly after a Chicago Sun-Times poll suggested Preckwinkle might trounce Rahm Emanuel if the election took place now.

The Cook County Board president was coy with her intentions to this point, but now she says her focus is entirely on winning re-election to her county post on Nov. 4.

"I have decided to rule out a run for Mayor of Chicago in 2015 because I made a commitment to reform Cook County's criminal justice system, transform our healthcare system, and ensure the viability of our pension system," she said in a statement released Tuesday. "I appreciate all of those who have expressed confidence in me by urging me to run for Mayor, and I hope you will continue to support me going forward."

The Chicago Tribune reports that Preckwinkle, according to a close source, is tired of being asked about running for mayor.

A We Ask America poll commissioned by the Sun-Times showed Preckwinkle running away with the mayor's office, 55 percent to Emanuel's 31 percent. The poll, released Sunday, is based on the responses of 1,037 registered Chicago voters contacted by phone who said they were likely to vote in the Feb. 24, 2015, election.

The mayor's camp told the Sun-Times that the poll results were "laughable."

The poll also showed Karen Lewis, the Chicago Teachers Union president, leading Emanuel, 45 percent to 36 percent, in a head-to-head contest. The mayor's decision to close several schools on the South Side and West Side has been controversial.

Lewis has said she's been looking to Preckwinkle to run for mayor, though she is also considering calls for her to challenge Emanuel. She's formed an exploratory committee.