Chicago Mayor Race No Slam Dunk for Emanuel

The retirement of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has sparked strong speculation that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel will run for the position, according to a report at politico.com. Emanuel has expressed interest in it in the past. But victory would be no sure thing for the intense Obama operative who has shown a proclivity for upsetting even his allies, Politico reports.

Emanuel’s status as a White House mucky-muck guarantees he’ll be a prominent candidate. However, he could face opposition from plenty of strong candidates.

To win the election, Emanuel would need the support of liberals, unions, Hispanics and blacks. Working against him is the fact that he’s managed to anger all of these key groups in his current job — and in his six years as a Chicago congressman prior to that.

"Rahm has some opportunities," Martin L. King, a veteran Chicago black activist, told Politico. "Rahm also faces some challenges."