Supporters of Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd Ward) on Monday began seeking the 12,500 signatures needed to put him on the ballot for mayor in the Feb. 22 election.
Even before Mayor Richard M. Daley said he would step down rather than seek a seventh term in the election, Fioretti had publicly stated that he felt he could do a better job as the next mayor and was considering a challenge to the 21-year incumbent.
On Monday evening, he said he still is not sure if he will ultimately run for mayor. But Fioretti said he asked volunteers to begin circulating nominating petitions for a mayoral run.
At the same time, he continued to also circulate petitions to run for a second term as alderman of a ward that includes the South Loop and parts of the West Side.
“As we move toward making the decision about running for mayor, it’s better to be prepared ahead of time,” he told the Chicago News Cooperative after seeking signatures and making stump speeches at senior housing in his ward.
Fioretti said he has three to seven volunteers in every other ward outside his constituency.
“We are spreading out in the next couple of days,” he said. “We will have people working in every ward by the end of the week.”
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and State Sen. James T. Meeks (D-Chicago) also began circulating petitions for mayor over the weekend, although they also said they are not yet ready to announce that they will definitely be candidates.
Fioretti predicted that many prospective mayoral hopefuls would decide against appearing on the ballot.
“The problems that we face in this city will ultimately have candidates saying that they can’t see any solution,” he said. “We have got a lot of problems out there.”
Fioretti was first elected alderman in 2007, unseating Daley ally Madeline Haithcock. He was the target of this classic, 2008 tirade during a City Council meeting when he did not side with Daley, who accused him of angling for “political future office”: