Rahm Not Eligible for Mayor Job: Lawsuit

Two pieces of bad news for Rahm Emanuel: One, his stubborn tenant is, in fact, running for Chicago mayor against him. Two, the fact that he’s running brings attention to the belief that Emanuel isn’t a Chicago resident—which is exactly what two residents charge in a lawsuit filed yesterday that asserts the president’s former chief of staff is ineligible to run for mayor. If Emanuel had maintained access to his Chicago home rather than renting it, “he would be golden,” the lawyer who filed the suit tells the Wall Street Journal.

Instead, Emanuel did rent the home—to Rob Halpin, a 59-year-old industrial real estate developer who filed this week to run against his landlord, who currently leads polls with 39% of the vote. Other people collected the signatures Halpin needed to get on the ballot; he has not campaigned at all and has no staff or budget. Even so, he insists his campaign for election has “nothing to do” with where he lives, and says his business background qualifies him to be mayor.