The Hill News

Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) vowed to stay in the race against Rahm Emanuel and other Democrats to become the next mayor of Chicago.

Davis maintained that he had no intention of dropping out of the Democratic primary race to succeed retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley (D), though the field could threaten to divide the city's black voters.

"The truth is, I'm just getting in this race," Davis told the Chicago Tribune, responding to rumors that he might withdraw.

A Tribune poll last week found that Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff who formerly represented a district on the city's north side in Congress, led in the Democratic primary race, which is seen as the de-factro mayoral election. Thirty-two percent of Chicago voters said they preferred Emanuel, followed by former Chicago Public Schools head Gery Chico and Davis at 9 percent each, 7 percent for state Sen. James Meeks, and 6 percent for former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun. 

Emanuel is seen as the frontrunner in the race, but he must survive legal challenges to his residency status, which seek to disqualify him from appearing on the ballot.!

Davis, Meeks and Moseley Braun are all African-Ame! rican ca ndidates, and while black leaders in the city have hoped to settle on a consensus candidate, none of the three have expressed interest in dropping out.

"I am in it to win it," Braun told the Tribune.