Overview
- Dr. Lisa Nee announced her campaign on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, presenting herself as an outsider and stressing honesty, affordability and public safety.
- Nee is a Chicago-area cardiologist, former ICU nurse and healthcare executive who gained public attention as a whistleblower at the Hines VA Hospital.
- Her entry expands a field that already includes Susana Mendoza, Rep. Mike Quigley, Matt Brewer, George Cárdenas, Maria Pappas, Joe Holberg and Liam Stanton.
- Reports say Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is weighing a run and may have a war chest above $20 million, a development that could reshape early fundraising; Mayor Brandon Johnson has not yet declared whether he will run.
- The first-round city election is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027, with a runoff on April 6 if no candidate wins a majority, a system that makes early coalition-building and fundraising critical for front-runners and outsiders alike.