King Richard Daley II is not running for re-election.
Mayor Daley is not seeking another term
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Chicago will have to learn to live without a mayor named Daley. The nation’s longest-serving mayor is calling it quits.
In a stunning development that hit the city like a political earthquake, Richard M. Daley announced Tuesday that he would not seek a seventh term.
Daley made the announcement during a City Hall news conference — deceptively billed as a “major cabinet appointment” — that lasted all of four-and-a-half minutes.
The mayor was flanked by his wife, Maggie, daughters Nora and Elizabeth “Lally,” son Patrick and son-in-law Sean Conroy.
Daley took no questions and choked up twice: when he referred to his son, Kevin, who died of spina bifida at the age of 2, and when he thanked his family for their “love and support . . . without it, I could not have done this.” He was clearly a man at peace with his decision.
“Today, I am announcing that I will not seek a seventh term as mayor of the city of Chicago. Simply put, it’s time. Time for me. And time for Chicago to move on,” said Daley, 68, who will surpass his father as Chicago’s longest-serving mayor in December.
“I’ve given it my all. I’ve done my best. Now, I’m ready with my family to begin the next phase of our lives. In the coming days, I know there will be some reflecting on my time as mayor. Many of you will search to find what’s behind my decision. It’s simple. I have always believed that every person, especially public officials, must understand when it is time to move on. For me, that time is now.”
Well, I thought I might never live to see the day.
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