Politics
Chicago Mayoral Candidate John Kelly on Experience, Ethics and Crime Perceptions
Chicago mayoral candidate John Kelly kicked off his first-ever campaign in July, but that doesn’t mean he’s a stranger to City Hall.
Prior to joining the race, Kelly spent his career as a lobbyist, representing well-known clients in the city including the White Sox, the United Center and Bally’s. According to Kelly, his experience as a “problem solver” can help Chicago live up to its nickname as “a city that works.”
But while Kelly is not the only political newcomer in the race, his career experience also drew attention to how he would navigate potential conflicts of interest while in office. And on the campaign trail, videos posted to his X account filmed at firehouses have raised questions about whether he is using city resources to campaign, a potential ethics violation.
Kelly joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss his qualifications, the ethical considerations of his campaign, and his plans for the city budget and public safety.
On qualifications for the job:
“I’m definitely not a career politician like a lot of folks that I’m running against, I’m a problem solver. When I go to all these neighborhoods … people were like ‘just solve the problems.’”
“We want to make (the city) work, we want the city to be safe, we want the city to be clean. Especially the transit.”
On potential conflicts of interest:
“It’s a very simple and straightforward answer, like I’ve said on numerous interviews. My No. 1 concern are the Chicago taxpayers, full stop. I’ve been a lobbyist my whole career, you can dig up anywhere you like, we’ve never had any ethical issues or any concerns.”
“I have one guiding principle when I become mayor of Chicago. It’s if someone comes into my office — a former client, a family friend or a friend — I’m gonna tell them ‘no’ if what they’re proposing is not what’s right for Chicago. I think that it’s a really easy solution for me, because I have that inner belief that I’m gonna do what’s best for Chicago residents, full stop.”
On filming videos at firehouses:
“That wasn’t a campaign video, this is part of my tour of the city of Chicago. There are 96 firehouses in the city of Chicago, and I’m gonna visit all of them. We’re there as a private citizen, asking them questions. We don’t distribute any kind of campaign literature, we don’t ask them for signatures.”
“I believe that we’re gonna continue to go to these Chicago firehouses, in all of these neighborhoods in the city of Chicago, and talk to the people that really matter. And let them do the talking. We understand that this is what happens when you run for office, it becomes kind of political football. And I think this type of stuff we’re talking about is what Chicagoans are sick of.”
On the city’s budget:
“The No. 1 way for us to get out of this budget problem is through growth. 30% of our downtown is vacant. That’s because of the failed leadership of the mayor. It’s the failed leadership of the politicians I’m running against, who have been sitting there watching the mayor put the city in this state of decline. When your economic engine is only sputtering at 70% of its maximum power, the city doesn’t operate functionally.”
“People go to other cities, and there’s cranes. We have one crane.”
On public safety:
“Crime and safety is how someone feels. People don’t say, ‘Oh, this crime is down a certain percentage, I feel that percentage safer.’ People in the city of Chicago, they’re as safe as they feel. Speaking with them, they’re telling me they don’t feel safe. … I don’t care what crime stats people are trying to talk about. Chicago residents do not feel safe, and they tell me that every single day. That’s why I’ve made it a center point of the campaign.”
