15 candidates file to challenge Brandon Johnson, but Chicago mayoral field could shrink

Fifteen, that's the number of people filing to challenge Brandon Johnson for re-election as Chicago mayor, but it may not stay that way. That number could drop fast. In fact, it's been changing in the last 24 hours. Starting today, candidates can challenge each other's signatures and try to kick folks off of the ballot. Political reporter Brandon Pope is here to walk us through how this whole thing works. Yeah, it's a really fascinating process. Welcome to Chicago politics, right? The key number to watch is 12,500. that's how many a candidate needs to stay on the ballot for mayor most of the major candidates say they collected tens of thousands more like Alexi Janoulia said he has 60,000 now the political games begin and those comfortable cushions they start to dwindle a little bit an objector can challenge individual signatures the people who circulated the petitions or the details in the candidate's paperwork election officials then examine the disputed records and decide whether the candidate still meets that minimum number. Now, these challenges are supposed to make sure candidates follow the rules and have real voter support. So checking things like voter address and if they're actually registered to vote here. But defending thousands of signatures can require lawyers, staff, and lots of money, raising a bigger question about whether Chicago's system protects the ballot or favors candidates with the deepest pockets. Veteran election attorney Michael Dorf has represented Mayor Lori Lightfoot and many other candidates, including this year, Alexi Janoulia. He says it's all about strategy. The challenges don't always work, but challenges always drain resources. They drain labor, they get into the candidates who's being challenged, they get into their head. And the challenger is able to say to donors, Well, don't give money to this person because they may not be on the ballot in two weeks. So that's always a piece of it. I've seen very few challenges that are absolutely frivolous. I mean, they all have to say and they have to prove at least on the face of it that they've gotten that person under the number of signatures. But that other part of the strategy you're talking about is always a piece of any challenge. So a little peek into the mindset of a campaign there for strategy. It's important to remember challenges can be appealed in court. I'm told by Dorf the Janoulia campaign has not decided yet if they're going to challenge any petitions. Johnson has already hinted that he will not. And the deadline is Monday. The ballot gets finalized on December 17th. Lots to watch here. Fascinating process because really this really separates who has the great political organizations and who doesn't. Something else I find fascinating is that we're still talking about the parking meter. just when you think it's over it's like it's like bad acne it comes back it comes back to haunt you okay so so look let's go over this they're going to have a special city council meeting uh being called they're talking about the 75 million dollars that was a payment from stone peak as part of this parking meter deal uh alders like pat dow they want that money applied as an additional pension payment that was the intention brandon johnson's budget has that 75 million wrapped up in his pension payment he was already planning to make so that's the dispute here if alders are successful in forcing an additional 75 million payment which is the money they got from these from this parking meter deal it would leave a 75 million dollar hole in johnson's budget so the big question there will be how will he replace that and so it creates more drama around the parking meter deal it's going to be a very interesting meeting monday i am told they have the votes to get this passed very quickly. Alderman Anthony Beale, Nicole Lee, they're all very confident this is going to be a quick Monday meeting. Okay. Okay. We'll see if that comes out. We gonna see. Thank you, Brandon.