OK, I must admit that I was waiting for Mayor Richard Daley to say, sike!!! I was just playing. I am going to run again. LOL But a few days have passed and it seems to be real. And everybody, including current and former Black elected officials to professional candidates (meaning you have run for more than three DIFFERENT offices) and somebody's momma (Carol Mosely Braun has children, right?) is looking at the top seat in Chicago.

Even my man Warren Ballentine is being urged to run. And how can you blame folks. Anytime an important, influential position opens up in an organization, a company or even in the family den, people will want to try their luck at getting that seat. LOL You know you couldn't wait for your granddaddy to leave the room so you could plop yourself in that soft recliner, hit that level to lean back with your feet raised and watch TV. 

Now, I am joking here a little, but this is serious business for the third largest city in the U.S. The city is in a $655 million deficit. 

The Black Agenda
What does this mean to Black people in Chicago and Cook County? Well, we know the model that got Harold Washington elected the first Black mayor of Chicago won't work. We saw that in the Cook County Democratic race this past February. First, you can have several Black people in the race and a Black person can still win. 

Well, here's the $655 million dollar question. Does it matter what race the next mayor of Chicago is? Seriously, don't give a knee-jerk response. There are people in power today that have not stopped their forward motion because we have a Black president. 

The Honorable Louis Farrakhan said a long time ago that "Politics without economics is symbol without substance." Should we be discussing a Black Agenda focused on education and jobs or should we jump behind one of the people thinking about running?

Who wants to run this town?

Announced:
State Senator Rickey Hendon pulled an old school "political gangsta" move announcing his campaign for mayor and said that any other Black candidates that enter the race are spoilers.

William "Dock" Walls, a community activist and former aide to the late Mayor Harold Washington, has jumped into the race. Now, Dock has run for governor, congressman and mayor in the last four years. 

Carol Mosley Braun has clearly expressed interest. 

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., has expressed interest in the past

Terry Peterson, the mayor's former 2007 campaign manager

Christopher Cooper, a relatively unknown civil rights attorney and former Marine. 

Unannounced
State Senator James Meek

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.