Mayoral challenger William J. Quinlan filed the lawsuit to force three mayoral challengers to make a choice: either seek re-election to their current offices or file nominating petitions for mayor. If they tried to do both, they would risk being thrown off the ballot for both offices.
By Fran Spielman
Oct 14, 2026, 4:00pm CDT
William J. Quinlan speaks during a news conference at the Daley Center in 2024. Behind him is then-Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. Quinlan, who has announced his candidacy for mayor, recently filed a lawsuit to force three mayoral candidates to choose between re-election or their mayoral bids.
Mayoral challenger William J. Quinlan suffered a setback Wednesday in his attempt to shrink the field for Chicago mayor by three: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
Quinlan filed the lawsuit last month in an attempt to force all three mayoral challengers to make a choice: either seek reelection to their current offices or file nomination petitions for mayor. If they tried to do both, the would risk being thrown off the ballot for both offices.
But Circuit Court Judge Eve Reilly dismissed the lawsuit on grounds that Quinlan had jumped the gun.
She said the lawsuit was premature, since the week-long period for filing nominating petitions for mayor does not begin until Monday, and attorneys for Giannoulias and Quigley told the court their clients might still change their minds about running for mayor.
Quinlan served as an election attorney for leading Democrats, including in the 2012 reelection campaign of then-President Barack Obama, and as an attorney for fired former Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. He denied the lawsuit is a publicity stunt aimed at raising his political profile.
He argued that it is not too soon to issue a declaratory judgment, which is why he intends to appeal the ruling.
“It’s like an anticipatory breach of contract. [It’s like saying], `We agree we’re going to do this, so tell us if that’s okay,’ “ Quinlan told the Sun-Times.
“Giannoulias and Quigley could have said, `We’re definitely running. We are going to do this.’ And then, the court would have said, `Okay. Well then, this is right because they say they’re running. They’re going to file the petitions. But what they said was, `Anything can happen. We don’t even know if we’re gonna file.’ If they don’t say that, then the judge can’t make such a finding. But based upon their representations, the judge said, `I find that this isn’t ripe at this time.’“
Chicago has a long history of politicians who have run for two offices at once without being forced to choose between the two. At most, they faced a few political potshots from opponents. But that was before the election calendar was changed.
Mayoral candidates now must file their nominating petitions by Oct. 26. That’s eight days before the Nov. 3 election. According to Quinlan, that “changes everything.”
“It’s not trying to throw someone off the ballot because they don’t have enough signatures or they don’t fit the residency requirement. That’s not this case at all. This case is, we have a statute that the Legislature just recently changed. What does it mean with respect to people who are filing for two offices that are incompatible, but in the same filing period?” Quinlan said Wednesday.
“If they’re running, then it applies to them. If they are not running, then it does not.”
Quinlan said he’s “more shocked” by what attorneys for Giannoulias and Quigley said in court than he is about the judge’s decision.
“They went into court and said, `We’re not sure we’re running.’ And they say that in the pleadings, too. We don’t know. Anything can happen. We’re not sure we’re gonna run,’ at the same time they’re opening up offices” to support their mayoral campaigns, Quinlan said. “They’re saying what they’re saying in court to get what they want out of it. You should say what you’re going to do.”
But Quinlan argued that a declaratory judgment is needed to avoid what he called a “draconian” impact on Chicago voters.
“It would be draconian if we wait until after the ballot [is printed],” Quinlan said. “Any vote for Giannoulias and Quigley would be invalidated. So, you’d be stuck with the other opponent. The people who voted for them — their votes wouldn’t count.”
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