Chicago City Wire

Raymond Lopez, alderman of Chicago’s 15th Ward, is signaling growing interest in a 2027 mayoral run, saying he is actively working to bring new leadership to City Hall.

“I'm definitely working to ensure that we have a new mayor,” Lopez told Chicago City Wire. “Whether that's me or not, I don't know at this point. But it definitely cannot be a return of (Brandon) Johnson.”

On the May 12 episode of columnist John Kass’ podcast The Chicago Way, Lopez said he would consider a run under the right circumstances.

“I think that if people want me, then I'm happy to do it,” Lopez said. “If they put their money where their mouth is, I'm not going to just jump in and be a sacrificial lamb or a name just to be in there for my own ego.”

Lopez has not said when he might formally announce a campaign, but his comments suggest a decision could come soon.

As the 2027 mayoral race begins to take shape, Lopez indicated he intends to play a significant role in shaping the opposition to Johnson—whether as a candidate or a key political figure.

“My goal at the moment is ensuring that we get rid of Johnson—and the half dozen or so socialists helping to lead this city into ruin,” he said. 

Chicago is currently facing a projected $1 billion budget shortfall this year. Lopez criticized Mayor Johnson’s fiscal management and questioned the administration’s overall transparency.

“We have a billion-dollar budget deficit this year alone, so (Johnson is) going to have to figure out how to manage that and justify what he spent versus what he needs,” Lopez said. “And I don't think you're going to get an honest answer from them on it.”

He also described the city as being in a “valley of despair” under Johnson’s leadership and said he believes the administration prioritizes progressive symbolism over practical governance.

Johnson’s approval rating has dropped to 6.6 percent, according to a recent poll by GOP-affiliated M3 Strategies. The poll showed low support across racial demographics, with 2 percent approval among Latino voters and 16 percent among Black voters. The firm reported that Johnson’s support has declined further since January.

Despite Johnson’s low ratings, Lopez warned that he could still make the runoff in 2027 if the opposition is divided.

“Everyone who thinks that just because the mayor’s at six-and-a-half percent approval rating that there’s no way he can win is misguided,” Lopez said.

According to Lopez, Johnson could secure up to 18 percent of the vote “without even trying.”

“I constantly suggest to people who want to see change that we need to figure this out now,” Lopez said. “We need to limit the field, even though everyone smells blood in the water. There should only be one shark going for the bait. And then we should put all our efforts into electing whomever that person is.”

He said public safety should be the top priority for Chicago’s next mayor and pointed to a significant drop in construction activity as evidence of declining investor confidence.

“When I was first elected 10 years ago, we had 62 cranes in the sky building things. Right now, there’s only one—and it’s across from City Hall, rebuilding the Thompson Center for Google,” he said. “All of those cranes represented hundreds of millions of dollars in investment that no longer happens.”

During his conversation with Kass, Lopez referred to Johnson as “Mayor Panic Attacks,” referencing the mayor’s publicized stress-related hospital visits. He said the next mayor will need to make difficult decisions.

“The next mayor is not going to have a cakewalk walking into 121 North LaSalle,” Lopez told Kass. “The next mayor is going to have a maelstrom of bad decisions coming full force at him or her that they’re going to have to contend with, and know how to tell people no. Know how to tell people we need to make some tough decisions. Know how to have moral convictions that you live by and not just say things to get through the moment. And I think Chicago is at one of those inflection points.” 

In 2022, during another podcast appearance, Lopez also hinted at running for mayor against former Mayor Lori Lightfoot but ultimately opted not to enter the race.

In 2023, Lightfoot became the first mayor since 1983 to lose reelection, finishing third and missing the runoff in the race ultimately won by Johnson. Her tenure was marked by a rise in violent crime, declining police morale and widespread criticism of her leadership during a turbulent four years.

Lopez noted that the stakes continue to be high for Chicago’s political leadership, warning that until neighborhoods feel safe again, families won’t move in, businesses won’t open and tourism won’t rebound.

“Right now, the number one driver away from Chicago is the perception that it’s not safe to come here,” he said. “And that is costing us hundreds of millions of dollars.”

In 2022, Citadel founder Ken Griffin moved his company’s headquarters to Miami, citing public safety concerns. That same year, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski also raised alarm over crime in the city, saying employees were afraid to use public transportation.

Lopez said Johnson and many City Council members are ignoring their constituents’ everyday concerns in favor of ideological pursuits.

“It's so aggravating when many of these same people who represent these same neighborhoods, who represent those same individuals that share that same story, choose to ignore their plight and focus on something else—like straws, or environmental impact, or some other nonsensical, unimportant social justice issue—while ignoring what's directly in front of them,” Lopez said.

He also expressed frustration with the city’s handling of aid to migrants, comparing the funding with what he said was a lack of support for longtime residents impacted by events like the July 2023 floods.

“The city of Chicago could not put two nickels together to help those residents of Austin after a massive flood on July 3, 2023,” he said. “But yet bent over backwards to put together, in the same month, $59 million for migrant asylum seekers.”

Many longtime residents have grown increasingly frustrated with the city's priorities.

“Imagine the slap in the face,” Lopez said. “You still haven’t been able to replace your furnace or clean your basement, and the city spends a hundred million dollars on people that just got here. I’d be mad as hell too.”

In 2024, it was revealed that Chicago had spent more than $400 million on services for undocumented migrants. A lawsuit later disclosed contract details related to migrant shelters, raising questions about transparency in spending.

Gov. JB Pritzker has similarly faced criticism for spending $638 million on Chicago’s illegal alien crisis, with opponents arguing the funds divert resources from vulnerable Illinois residents. Critics have called for an end to Illinois’ sanctuary state status, claiming illegal aliens are receiving more support than the state’s own citizens.

“Why is it happening?” Lopez said. “Because that is the mayor’s agenda. That is where the mayor wants to focus his energy — abdicating not only his duty as mayor, but his responsibility to his own community, just so he can appease his socialist Latino colleagues and make it look like he’s taking care of people, while ignoring the entire city he was elected to protect and lead."

Lopez framed the migrant support as a deliberate policy choice by Johnson to appease “his socialist Latino colleagues,” accusing the mayor of betraying the city.

“That was a conscientious policy decision he made,” Lopez said. “That was not something voted on. That was something that was discussed publicly. It was something he chose to continue doing—and did it at the expense of his community and every community in Chicago.”

Beyond Chicago, Lopez voiced concern about the state of American politics. 

“I'm concerned because we don't teach our youth critical thinking,” he said. “I'm concerned because we do not teach them civics and teach them how to understand the power of the vote and the power of that voice in that vote. Where they're more concerned about making a reel for Instagram or Snapchat than they are about learning or questioning their leaders. I'm worried that you have politicians who feel like they are above everyone and very much an elitist.” 

Lopez warned that without systemic reforms the country risks forming a “permanent ruling class.”

“If we continue down this idiotic slide that we're going down, it's not going to matter whether we have elections anymore, because you're going to have a permanent ruling class just by default of—once they get in, they're in,” he said. “And that's not what this country was built on.”