The race for mayor of Chicago is changing by the hour, depending on who wants in and who is bowing out.
A new poll puts Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle ahead, but there are questions -- who decides -- who will replace her at the county board if she is the next mayor.
Petitions for mayor are due at the end of November -- but it's not just petitions -- it's all about the money-- and not that Mayor Rahm Emanuel is no longer running, there's a lot more campaign cash out there to be divided up by those who want the job.
At Sunday's Mexican Independence Day celebration, Preckwinkle was not ready to announce whether she plans to run for mayor.
"No, thank you," she told a reporter.
A new poll by SEIU Local One -- shows when Preckwinkle is surveyed against those who've already announced -- she leads -- followed by Paul Vallas, Garry McCarthy and Willie Wilson. In a one on one matchup against state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Preckwinkle is up nearly two to one, but 35 percent say they're undecided.
One of those looking at getting in the race is former 2011 mayoral candidate Gery Chico.
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"The ground shifts everyday, somebody's in, somebody's out," Chico said. "For me I try to turn out the noise and make the decision that I think is best for me and my family and I'm driven by the passion I have for Chicago."
Also weighing a run -- city treasurer Kurt Summers and West Side black elected officials are forming an exploratory committee for Rep. Lashawn Ford. Cook County Clerk David Orr has decided not to run.
"I've made a decision,I've thought very seriously the last few days, and I've decided not to change my plans," he said.
Preckwinkle is running unopposed for county board president. Should she also choose to run for mayor and win, the current county board rules say a vacancy would go first to the president pro temp -- which is Commissioner Deborah Sims, and next in line is Finance Chair John Daley. That person would serve until the next election in 2020.
While the signs pointed to Preckwinkle announcing an exploratory committee Monday--that has not yet happened--but is still expected very soon.
