Preckwinkle: “I'm Running For the Job I've Got”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle didn't completely put to rest speculation that she's interested in running for Chicago mayor Wednesday.

"I'm running for the job I've got, I've still got a long to-do list," Preckwinkle said at a news conference.

But behind the scenes, others suggest she may just be a last minute addition to the 2015 mayoral race.

It would be a quick turnaround after the November County Board election for Preckwinkle to put together a mayoral campaign.

But it's been done before. That's exactly what Richard Daley did back in 1989. He had just won re-election for Cook County State's Attorney in November 1988 when several months later he ran for mayor, and won.

When asked about her relationship with Rahm Emanuel Wednesday, Preckwinkle said "we work together."

Preckwinkle also responded to the revelation last week that one of Emanuel's political aides emailed negative stories about her to print reporters.

"You know, I think I've shown incredible discipline in the last week," Preckwinkle joked. "I continue to try to exercise that self discipline."

Off camera, Preckwinkle was asked if she supports Emanuel's re-election, but she again laughed it off and was noncommittal.

Preckwinkle will be in Springfield Thursday lobbying for pension reform for county employees.

At Wednesday's County Board meeting, nurses from Stroger Hospital showed their disapproval for any plan that calls for cuts to their benefits.

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