But Daley's abrupt decision to drop out of the race now leaves Quinn nearly alone in the Democratic field, free to unite the state's dominant party behind him despite Illinois' enormous financial problems — unless a significant candidate makes a late entry into the race.
Daley spokesman Peter Giangreco said Monday evening that the son of late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley was abandoning what many anticipated would have been a tough campaign to unseat the incumbent. Giangreco said the Chicago Democrat would explain his decision Tuesday morning at a news conference in the city.
It would have been the first elected office for Daley, though he served as a trusted adviser to two presidents, first as Bill Clinton's commerce secretary and then as Barack Obama's chief of staff after Rahm Emanuel left the post to make a successful run to succeed Richard M. Daley as mayor. He had flirted with the idea of running for governor before, but this was the furthest he had ventured into an actual campaign.
