Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Chicago Housing Authority Board Comm. Matt Brewer, businessman Willie Wilson and lobbyist John Kelly were the mayoral candidates who filed Monday.

Giannoulias, who is considered the frontrunner due to his massive fundraising advantage out of the gate, said he had collected over 60,000 signatures — almost five times the required 12,500 — on a stack of petitions that took two election workers to load on to a dolly. 

“We built a great field operation [and] a great volunteer base,” Giannoulias told reporters Monday. “Barack Obama taught me that the way you run a campaign is the way you're likely to run an administration. So, doing everything — fundraising, petitions, volunteers, field offices, social — all that stuff is part of running a campaign. So, I'm really proud and very grateful to everyone who signed our petitions.” 

Related: Giannoulias enters mayor’s race with message of collaboration, millions of dollars  

Quigley, who like Giannoulias is also competing for reelection in the upcoming general election, said he filed more than 42,000 signatures.  

“That's plenty of evidence that there's support, and we know how to win campaigns,” the congressman told reporters. “This is how I operate. I'm in crowded fields. I've been outspent 10 to one, won before, and won by five points. It's our brand. It's who we are. It's how hard we work as a campaign team. I'm excited.”  

Related: Quigley enters mayor’s race, promising to distinguish as candidate not burdened by future ambitions

Kelly, the owner of the lobbying firm All-Circo, said he had filed between 35,000 and 36,000 signatures, and he told The Daily Line he took that as proof that voters are looking for a “problem solver” like him and not a career politician. He also took some jabs at candidates like Giannoulias and Quigley running in the November elections while also pursuing mayoral office. 

“[Voters are] tired of all these candidates running for multiple offices, and they want someone that's committed to being the mayor of Chicago and only the mayor, and that's our candidacy,” Kelly said. 

Related: Longtime lobbyist makes case for mayoral candidacy 

Brewer said he had collected and submitted over 32,000 signatures.  

The former interim operating CHA chairman and board chair of the CHA, who has had a public spat with Johnson after leading the hiring of a new CEO over the mayor’s objections, said voters told him during signature gathering that they desired a change at City Hall. 

“We went all over the city, literally every corner of the city, all over the map, and the single most common theme was this desire for something more than politics as usual,” Brewer said. 

He also told reporters that he is confident in the validity of his signatures and feels that any challenge to his petitions would be “more political” than based on merit. 

Related: Former Chicago Housing Authority operating chair running for mayor after ouster 

Wilson filed over 30,000 signatures, saying in a social media post Monday that “the wind is at our back, and we have tremendous support. Everywhere I go, people tell me they want safe neighborhoods, quality schools, lower taxes and a government that works for them. I am excited to speak with many more Chicagoans as this journey begins.”  

Related: Wilson launches fourth bid for Chicago mayor 

A spokesperson for Johnson’s campaign said the first-term mayor would likely submit his petitions later this week in the days following his 2027 budget address, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning. 

Petition filing for candidates for city office, including alderperson, Police District Council, city treasurer and city clerk in addition to mayor, will run through Oct. 26. Beginning Oct. 27, candidates will have the opportunity to challenge the validity of other contenders’ petitions.