CHICAGO - William M. Daley, a former White House chief of staff to President Obama, announced on Tuesday that he was exploring a bid for governor of Illinois, setting up a possible fight with Gov. Patrick J. Quinn for the Democratic nomination next year.
In a video on his Web site, Mr. Daley criticized Mr. Quinn, who has said he will seek re-election in 2014, and other Illinois lawmakers for not using a legislative session that ended last month to address major issues, including a pension crisis that has crippled the state’s bond ratings.
“Our state needed a productive legislative session, but what happened?†Mr. Daley asked. “Pension reform failed again, marriage equality died at the last minute, protecting our kids from illegal guns â€" another joke.â€
Emphasizing Illinois’s financial troubles, he later added, “We can no longer stand idly by while our pension debt bankrupts our schools and robs our children of a better future.â€
Mr. Daley, a former banker and a commerce secretary in the Clinton administration â€" and the son and brother of longtime Chicago mayors â€" also spoke about his 2011 tenure in Washington, where he said gridlock in Congress led Mr. Obama to take matters into his own hands, with executive actions, on stalled issues.
“We need that same urgency in Illinois,†Mr. Daley said. “We can’t wait for the legislature to get well on its own. We need a governor who takes the field, takes command and gets things done.â€
A run by Mr. Daley has been a subject of speculation here for some time, as Republican candidates have started lining up to challenge Mr. Quinn, who is considered to be vulnerable.
Another Democrat, Lisa Madigan, the state attorney general and daughter of the powerful Illinois House speaker, Michael J. Madigan, is also thinking about jumping into the race. It is unclear when she might make that decision.
Candidates have until Dec. 2 to file for the March 2014 primary election.
