Chicago mayoral candidate Bill Quinlan has filed a lawsuit in the Cook County Circuit Court seeking to block several prominent political rivals from getting on the upcoming mayoral ballot.

The lawsuit targets figures including Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley, and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (alongside attention drawn to Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas). Quinlan argues that these politicians should not be permitted to run for mayor while simultaneously running for re-election to their current, incompatible offices.

The legal challenge hinges on a 2024 change to Illinois state law that shifted the mayoral petition filing window to October 19 through October 26several days before the November general election in which these rivals are also running for their current positions. Quinlan’s lawsuit claims that because of this advanced deadline, holding or campaigning for two incompatible offices simultaneously violates the Illinois Election Code and seeks an expedited hearing to keep them off the ballot. Representatives for the targeted campaigns have dismissed the legal action as a frivolous maneuver without merit.