Congressman Mike Quigley's name is being floated as a potential challenger to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in two years.
And the eight-term Democratic Congressman and former Cook County commissioner did nothing to discourage that speculation -- during an appearance in the Loop today.
"Every mayor should have to sit in an alder's office for an hour a month and just answer the calls that come in," Quigley (D-5th District) told an audience at the City Club of Chicago. "A mayor needs to think like an alder ... right? 'What's basic? What are people really focused on?'"
He named several "kitchen-table" topics, including potholes, streetlights, rats and zoning issues ... but said that because 40% of the City of Chicago's budget is devoted to paying interest on past loans, the city's not adequately equipped to address any of those issues.
Quigley's speech, which included several "dad jokes" and references to the hit FX show "The Bear, also staked out some positions that played well in the business-friendly audience, including support for keeping the tip credit for service workers and opposition to a call for a corporate "head tax" that Mayor Johnson's supporters say would boost city finances.
He says a mayor needs to be transparent, and level with people about the hard financial choices that will have to be made.
"There's a lot of cows in Chicago, they all think they're sacred," Quigley said to a smattering of laughs and nods from the crowd," but we have to begin by telling the truth" to voters.
As for the future, he says he's focused on re-election, but plans to keep talking in the months ahead about the issues facing the city "because I think this stuff matters."