MCKINLEY PARK — Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas announced his candidacy for Chicago mayor on Tuesday, marking the second formal candidate announcement in recent weeks in what’s expected to be a crowded field come February. 

Surrounded by over 20 supporters, the former Southwest Side alderman made his announcement from the 12th Ward at New Star Lighting, a light fixture manufacturing company near McKinley Park. Throughout his speech, Cardenas highlighted his corporate background and the need for “fiscal discipline” in City Hall, but he was light on policy specifics.

Cardenas serves on the county’s property tax appeal board, representing parts of Chicago’s Southwest Side as well as the southwest, eastern and northwest suburbs.

Before being elected to the board of review in 2022, Cardenas represented the city’s 12th Ward in McKinley Park and Brighton Park in a seat now held by Julia Ramirez. His corporate career included stints at McDonald’s and Tenneco, an automotive components manufacturer.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Cardenas previewed a proposed solution to violence among Chicago’s teens, which he dubbed “Parenting Matters.” He told reporters he would lay out his plan for “Parenting Matters” later in his campaign, adding that it would create a stipend for some parents. The stipend could range from $150 to $250, depending on the involvement of the parent, and would include resources such as counseling, he told Block Club.

“Chicago has already strong building blocks. You got After School Matters, you got Chicago, Youth Works, you got My Chi My Future and many other community partners doing frontline work every day,” Cardenas said. “But Parenting Matters is that connective tissue that makes the ecosystem perform as one system for families. This is how we connect fiscal discipline to human dignity.”

As a young boy, Cardenas immigrated to the United States from Durango, Mexico. He and his parents, sister and six brothers settled on the South Side in 1992.

On Tuesday, Cardenas grew emotional while describing his long commute from the South Side to Lane Tech High School in North Center each day.

“The challenge was, ‘How do I get to school and not be recruited by a gang?’ It was common back then. It is so common today. I could not walk safely to the bus sometimes, but I had to carry on, and I walked to Western and all the way to Addison,” Cardenas said, before taking a long pause. “Back and forth. Day in and day out.”

Cardenas comes from a more moderate pedigree of Chicago Democrats. During his two-decade aldermanic tenure, he worked in lockstep with mayors Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, whipping votes as Lightfoot’s deputy floor leader.

Cardenas bristled when asked about his “moderate” background.

“I’m progressive on some issues,” Cardenas said as his brother, Carlos R. Cardenas, piped up that he was moderate on budget issues. “I don’t know if I fit into these political buckets, but to me, it’s people behind me that have that experience, they know the city, they lift it, they have something to say, and so to me that’s what I’m accountable to.”

Earlier this month, outgoing Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza announced her bid for mayor. Mendoza is running on a more conservative platform with an emphasis on promoting public safety and reversing elements of the state’s progressive SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Ald. Bill Conway (34th) have amassed sizable campaign war chests and are rumored to be joining the field of mayoral candidates. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, businessman Joe Holberg and North Side U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley have also announced their intent to run.

MCKINLEY PARK — Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas announced his candidacy for Chicago mayor on Tuesday, marking the second formal candidate announcement in recent weeks in what’s expected to be a crowded field come February. 

Surrounded by over 20 supporters, the former Southwest Side alderman made his announcement from the 12th Ward at New Star Lighting, a light fixture manufacturing company near McKinley Park. Throughout his speech, Cardenas highlighted his corporate background and the need for “fiscal discipline” in City Hall, but he was light on policy specifics.

Cardenas serves on the county’s property tax appeal board, representing parts of Chicago’s Southwest Side as well as the southwest, eastern and northwest suburbs.

Before being elected to the board of review in 2022, Cardenas represented the city’s 12th Ward in McKinley Park and Brighton Park in a seat now held by Julia Ramirez. His corporate career included stints at McDonald’s and Tenneco, an automotive components manufacturer.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Cardenas previewed a proposed solution to violence among Chicago’s teens, which he dubbed “Parenting Matters.” He told reporters he would lay out his plan for “Parenting Matters” later in his campaign, adding that it would create a stipend for some parents. The stipend could range from $150 to $250, depending on the involvement of the parent, and would include resources such as counseling, he told Block Club.

“Chicago has already strong building blocks. You got After School Matters, you got Chicago, Youth Works, you got My Chi My Future and many other community partners doing frontline work every day,” Cardenas said. “But Parenting Matters is that connective tissue that makes the ecosystem perform as one system for families. This is how we connect fiscal discipline to human dignity.”

As a young boy, Cardenas immigrated to the United States from Durango, Mexico. He and his parents, sister and six brothers settled on the South Side in 1992.

On Tuesday, Cardenas grew emotional while describing his long commute from the South Side to Lane Tech High School in North Center each day.

“The challenge was, ‘How do I get to school and not be recruited by a gang?’ It was common back then. It is so common today. I could not walk safely to the bus sometimes, but I had to carry on, and I walked to Western and all the way to Addison,” Cardenas said, before taking a long pause. “Back and forth. Day in and day out.”

Cardenas comes from a more moderate pedigree of Chicago Democrats. During his two-decade aldermanic tenure, he worked in lockstep with mayors Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, whipping votes as Lightfoot’s deputy floor leader.

Cardenas bristled when asked about his “moderate” background.

“I’m progressive on some issues,” Cardenas said as his brother, Carlos R. Cardenas, piped up that he was moderate on budget issues. “I don’t know if I fit into these political buckets, but to me, it’s people behind me that have that experience, they know the city, they lift it, they have something to say, and so to me that’s what I’m accountable to.”

Earlier this month, outgoing Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza announced her bid for mayor. Mendoza is running on a more conservative platform with an emphasis on promoting public safety and reversing elements of the state’s progressive SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Ald. Bill Conway (34th) have amassed sizable campaign war chests and are rumored to be joining the field of mayoral candidates. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, businessman Joe Holberg and North Side U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley have also announced their intent to run.