Ald. Raymond Lopez drops out of mayoral race, will seek third term on City Council

CHICAGO (CBS) — Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) was the first person to announce he planned to run against Mayor Lori Lightfoot in next year's municipal elections, and now is the first challenger to drop out of that race.

Lopez announced Monday morning he will not be running for mayor, saying his move is "for the good of the city."

"As we look at the field, the fact that the opportunity exists for Lori Lightfoot to get re-elected was more than I could bear. This race was always about doing what was in the best interest for the city of Chicago; stepping up when no one else did," Lopez said at a press conference Monday morning. 

One of the mayor's harshest critics, Lopez has feuded constantly with Lightfoot during her time in office, routinely voting against her budget plans, which he has called "smoke and mirrors," and has blasted her handling of crime. Lopez had vowed to fire Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, repeatedly accusing him of incompetence.

Lopez said he had gathered 26,000 signatures to get on the ballot for mayor, more than twice the number he needed, but he decided against running.

"With every new challenger that enters the race, the odds of Lori Lightfoot making it into a runoff, possibly even winning reelection, grows. Chicago has survived many things over its existence, but it will not survive another four years with this mayor chasing headlines to cover up her nonstop bouncing from bad decision to bad decision," he said in a prepared statement.

Instead, Lopez will run for re-election in the 15th Ward, which after a new ward map goes into effect in 2023, will include parts of the Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, Canaryville, Chicago Lawn, Gage Park, and West Englewood neighborhoods.

His decision to drop out of the mayor's race comes on the first day candidates may file nominating petitions to get on the ballot. Candidates who are in line at 9 a.m. to file their petitions with the Chicago Board of Elections will be entered into a lottery to have their name listed first on the ballot. The deadline to file nominating petitions is Nov. 28. Candidates who are lined up at the deadline at 5 p.m. that day likewise will be entered into a lottery to have their name listed last on the ballot.

At least 12 other candidates have announced plans to run against Lightfoot in the municipal election in February, including: Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, Ald. Sophia King (4th), Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), businessman Willie Wilson, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner, community activist Ja'Mal Green, Chicago police officer Frederick Collins, Chicago Police Department FOIA officer Robert Earnshaw, retired Air Force Capt. Dennis Doran, and real estate developer John Thomas.