Overview
- Quinn, the 13th Ward alderman since 2011, announced on Wednesday that he will not run in the February 2027 municipal election and said exhaustion from constant ward work drove his decision.
- Quinn had been a leading voice in a moderate, renegade bloc that opposed several of Mayor Johnson’s priorities and his exit reduces that group’s bench on the City Council.
- During his four terms Quinn led neighborhood-focused fights that included pushing a ban on the most intoxicating hemp products, forcing a scaled-back additional dwelling unit ordinance, and campaigning for a separate Southwest Side police district.
- Quinn rose through local politics with backing from former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and his tenure was shadowed by a 2018 scandal involving his brother that drew federal scrutiny of Madigan’s circle.
- The early open seat comes weeks before the candidate petition period and could draw multiple challengers, giving Mayor Johnson greater leverage on future budgets and zoning votes in a council where aldermen control local land use and services.