The Hill News

Chicago Rep. Danny Davis (D) announced Monday he will formally enter the race for mayor of the Windy City, pitting him against former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. 

The seven-term congressman said that he expects to make an official announcement this week that he will enter the Feb. 22 race to succeed long-time Mayor Richard Daley (D), who decided to retire in September.

"I will be making a formal announcement, probably before the week is over," he said on WGN Radio. "I think we are just about there, we are just taking a bit of time to make a formal declaration."

By deciding to run, the congressman becomes one of the most visible names rivaling the front-runner Emanuel, who received a break last month when Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff Tom Dart elected not to enter the race.

The Chicago lawmaker ran against Daley in 1991, but was badly defeated.

Davis decided to enter the race after a group of influential African-American city leaders last weekend endorsed him over state Sen. James Meeks and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.)

Three other members of Congress, Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), previously announced they would not enter the race. 

The election is expected to go to an April 2011 runoff, since a candidate in the crowded field needs to collect a majority of votes to win the race. Davis expressed confidence he would be in the final match-up.

"It looks like Rahm Emanuel will more than likely be in the runoff and I would expect to be in the runoff with him," he said.