Gibbs says Emanuel will take time to weigh plans on Chicago mayoral race; Focus on White House
By APWednesday, September 8, 2010
Gibbs: Emanuel will take time weighing mayoral run
CLEVELAND — White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday he has “no doubt” that chief of staff Rahm Emanuel will be weighing his future options now that the race for Chicago mayor is wide open.
“Obviously something like that doesn’t come around a lot,” Gibbs told reporters traveling with the president to Ohio. “I presume that Rahm will take some time and make a decision about that.”
Still, Gibbs said that for now, Emanuel is focused on being President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, and, “the enormous number of tasks we have in front of us as an administration.”
Emanuel has made no secret of wanting to run for Chicago mayor one day. But he was surprised along with everyone else when the job came open when longtime Mayor Richard M. Daley announced his retirement this week.
Gibbs said he hadn’t spoken with Emanuel about his plans and he wasn’t sure if Emanuel had talked with the president. Emanuel represented Chicago in Congress before going to work for Obama.
Tags: Barack Obama, Chicago, Cleveland, Illinois, Municipal Governments, North America, Ohio, United States, Washington
