Claypool on Running For Mayor: Nope

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Sep 10, 2010 9:20PM

You know it's going to be a crazy, wide-open race for mayor when someone makes news for saying he's not running for the office. Forrest Claypool, already ensconced in a battle for Cook County Assessor, said he thought about it but ultimately decided against running for mayor. "I took 24 hours to think about it. But I've decided the race I'm in is too important to leave. It's an opportunity for voters to take a stand against the insider culture that's bankrupted our state and polluted our politics." Claypool, an outgoing Cook County Commissioner and an independent on the ballot, is locked in a heated battle with incumbent Joe Berrios. Berrios spokesman Manuel Galvan took a shot at Claypool, saying, "Obviously, Forrest is already focusing on the mayor's race. We have the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and will be rolling out periodic endorsements on our schedule, not Claypool's timetable."