The New York Times is reporting that Roland W. Burris is packing up his office and preparing to throw his hat in the ring for one of the most coveted mayoral offices in recent history. Supporters of Burris have filed the necessary paperwork for him to seek the city's top job. The question is, will he accept the challenge of entering what will surely be a crowded and contentious mayoral race? Twenty possible candidates — including Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff — filed petitions by Monday evening, the deadline for entering the Feb. 22 election. In the coming days, election officials in Chicago will determine whether the candidates have met filing requirements (each of them needs 12,500 legitimate signatures) and will hear challenges — among them, one expected this week over Emanuel’s status as a resident of the city. Burris' aides say that Burris, who was appointed to finish the Senate term of President Obama, was approached this fall by supporters, who collected 20,000 signatures on his behalf. Burris, who is already hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt for legal fees related to his Senate appointment, has yet to decide whether he will run for mayor, aides said. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, a controversial appointment and tenure in the Senate? We think he should just chill for a minute. He survived the Senate, but surviving Chicago politics again may prove hazardous to his legacy.
Read more at the New York Times.