A new name in the race

Attorney William J. Quinlan announced Tuesday he is running for mayor of Chicago, pitching himself as a reformer who knows how City Hall works from the outside.

“understands the system, but is not part of the system”

His father was the insider

Quinlan's namesake father served as city corporation counsel under Mayor Richard J. Daley, one of the most connected legal jobs in old Chicago.

“the ultimate Chicago insider”

Then Blagojevich got arrested

Quinlan followed his father into government law, spending three years as general counsel for Illinois. That ended when Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested.

He quit public service

After the arrest, Quinlan resigned. He said the embarrassment destroyed his desire to work in government ever again.

“At that time, I was watching a situation that had such great hope. And I felt like that hope wasn't achieved.”

Election lawyer for Democrats

He rebuilt his career representing leading Democrats, including work on Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.

The fire that killed his family

As a child, Quinlan lost his mother and younger brother in a fire at the family's Sauganash home. Northwest Side neighbors pulled him out, risking their own lives.

More loss after that

Another brother died after struggling with mental illness inside what Quinlan calls a fragmented system of care. A grandfather was killed by gun violence.

“navigating a fragmented system of care”

What the grief taught him

Quinlan, 56, says the losses made him a stronger and more empathetic leader, and left him feeling he owes the city something back.

“I realized that life is to be cherished. It comes with it an obligation to give back.”

He fought City Hall for CPS

Quinlan donated his time to represent Pedro Martinez after Mayor Brandon Johnson fired the schools CEO. He says that gave him a front-row seat to the dysfunction.

“I stood up and fought City Hall. No one in this field can say they did that.”

His charge against Johnson

Quinlan accuses the mayor of serving himself and the Chicago Teachers Union that helped elect him, rather than students or residents.

“acting on behalf of himself and his political gain by helping the special interest that got him elected”

A million-dollar head start

He formed a political advocacy group over a year ago that raised $1 million for neighborhood symposiums and policy study. Roughly $600,000 of it is left.

Fresh money this week

On top of the leftover advocacy funds, Quinlan added $250,000 in campaign contributions in the week he launched.

Owing nothing to anybody

Quinlan's core pitch is independence. He is not an elected official, he says, and does not answer to special interests or big donors.

“What we're offering is someone who's willing to think about the residents, not the million-dollar donors.”

Twelve against the mayor

Eleven other challengers were already running before Quinlan joined, all trying to make Johnson the city's second straight one-term mayor.

Standing out by being boring

With the field this crowded, Quinlan is wagering that a lack of political baggage, not a bigger platform, is what separates him.

“You have people who want to make a name for themselves, or they're part of the political group that have been running for multiple offices”

The pitch on the budget

He frames the city's finances as the real test, arguing Chicago needs someone willing to make unpopular calls instead of protecting a reelection.

“What Chicago needs, given its financial crisis, is someone who will make tough choices on behalf of the residents.”