Liam Stanton, a small-business owner raised in Rogers Park and a father of two, has officially jumped into Chicago's 2027 mayoral race with a campaign he has branded "Hit the Gas." He is centering his bid on three big-ticket themes - growth, affordability, and public safety - and is pitching a mix of family-sized housing, universal childcare, and tech-driven policing to get there.
Stanton formally kicked off his run in February at the Irish American Heritage Center on the Northwest Side, casting himself as an alternative to "career politicians" and promising practical, neighborhood-level fixes for the city, as reported by CBS Chicago. His entry adds another outsider voice to a race already drawing elected officials and well-known power players.
What Stanton Is Pushing
Stanton's "Hit the Gas" platform calls for reviving the Loop, legalizing more missing-middle and family-sized housing, and building out universal childcare systems so parents can work, according to Stanton for Chicago. On public safety, he is proposing to move more officers from desk duty to street patrols by civilianizing some administrative jobs, expand detective capacity, and bring back ShotSpotter for targeted gunshot detection.
Where He Fits In The Field
Stanton joins a growing list of hopefuls that includes congressional and statewide figures along with business executives, and the political calendar is about to speed up. Petitions to get on the Feb. 23, 2027 ballot start circulating July 28, a timeline that will force lesser-known candidates to hustle on both signatures and fundraising, notes WTTW.
State filings show a candidate committee, "Friends of Stanton," was created last year and has submitted multiple reports during the spring reporting period, listing a Lincoln Avenue campaign office, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records. His campaign also lists a Lincoln Square contact address on its website, signaling that Stanton has started to assemble a local operation on the North Side.
"I'm running for mayor to build a Chicago that's growing, affordable, and safe - a city where every Chicagoan, in every neighborhood, can put down roots and build a good life," Stanton said in his announcement, per CBS Chicago. With a crowded field and a short window to collect petitions and raise money, he will need to turn that neighborhood-focused message into a citywide operation if he wants to stand out.
