Former Ald. Richard Mell “thinks I would be a good mayor. That’s all I can say,” retiring Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) told the Sun-Times Monday. “He’s worked with me for years.”
By Fran Spielman
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) speaks at the grand opening of the AIDS Garden Chicago, near the Lakefront Trail, south of Belmont Harbor, in June.
With behind-the-scenes encouragement from perennial political power player Richard Mell, retiring Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) is warming to the possibility of joining the crowded field of candidates vying to replace Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
“He thinks I would be a good mayor. That’s all I can say,” Tunney, 67, said Monday.“He’s worked with me for years.”
Mell, 84, was uncharacteristically tight-lipped when asked what role he’s playing in trying to coax Tunney into the race.
“At this point, I’m not discussing that topic,” Mell said.“I’m not in a position to say anything about this now. Maybe later.”
Nine years after retiring from the Chicago City Council and passing the baton to his daughter, Mell was asked if he’s encouraging Tunney to run because he believes Chicago is at a crossroads.
He would only say: “Yes, we are.”
Former Ald. Richard Mell listens as his daughter, Ald. Deb Mell (33rd Ward) speaks during a Chicago City Council meeting in September 2013. He had retired earlier that year. Seated to his right is his daughter Patti Blagojevich.
Other political sources have said Mell has been telling everyone who will listen that Tunney is in and will announce his candidacy the day after the Nov. 8 general election.
Tunney refused to go quite that far during Monday’s conversation with the Sun-Times.
But he made it clear he is warming to the idea and firmly believes there is a “lane” for him to win.
“A middle-of-the-road, not overly progressive, not overly conservative [candidate]. But somebody who’s managed a very successful ward and also did a lot on the Council floor, collaborating. There’s a lane, if I so choose,” said Tunney, owner of Ann Sather Restaurants.
“I know I’ll have business support. If you look at the rest of the candidates, I think I have a unique resume,” he added. “If I get in, I will definitely be very aggressive on fundraising.”
With Tunney’s consent, supporters have been out with nominating petitions the last few weeks, hoping to gather two or three times the 12,500 signatures needed to get on the ballot and survive a petition challenge.
“It’s going very well. ... We have volunteers. We’ve got paid staff. We’re trying to cross the spectrum of the city,” said Tunney, Lightfoot’s hand-picked Zoning Committee chair.
Lightfoot has $2.9 million in the bank, followed by former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, who is closing in on $2 million. Millionaire businessman Willie Wilson leads the hunt for campaign cash with $4.68 million in the bank. He has already devoted $6 million of his personal fortune to unseating the embattled incumbent he endorsed, and he said he is prepared to donate $3 million more.
Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia has known Tunney, the association’s former chairman, for decades.
But Toia also has worked closely with Lightfoot, particularly during the pandemic, when the mayor closed streets and sidewalks to make way for more outdoor dining, throwing a lifeline to restaurants fighting for survival.
On Monday, Toia refused to say if he’d stay in Lightfoot’s camp, even if Tunney jumps in. He did say restaurant owners are pleased to have “been at the table instead of on the menu.”
People walk by outdoor plastic dining bubbles on Fulton Market in Chicago in October 2020.
Associated Press
With or without big bucks from the hospitality industry, Toia said Tunney’s candidacy could be a game-changer.
As Chicago’s first openly gay alderperson, he could cut into Lightfoot’s support in the LGBTQ community.
He could also hurt the mayor among lakefront voters whose support was crucial to Lightfoot’s 2019 win but who have grown disenchanted with her for not delivering on many progressive and transparency promises.
“There’s no question that Tom is someone that knows the city of Chicago. He grew up on the Southwest Side. He’s been a Chicagoan his whole life,” said Toia, and knows “the pulse of the hospitality industry, small business, development. He’s been an alderman dealing with all of these issues for the past 20 years.”
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