CHICAGO — A political movement is gaining traction in Chicago as a grassroots organization pushes for the ability to recall city officials, including the mayor, through the establishment of a long-overdue City Charter.
The campaign, led by the Chicago Deserves Better PAC, held a press conference Tuesday to announce a petition drive aimed at forming a reform commission that would draft the proposed City Charter — a document that could reshape the governance of the nation’s third-largest city.
Push for Change: Mayoral Recall at the Center
The effort initially began as a targeted campaign to create a recall mechanism for Mayor Brandon Johnson, but has since expanded in scope. D.J. Doran, the executive director of the PAC, stated that the goal is now to modernize the city’s outdated governance model.
“For a long time, the Chicago government has been too big and out of control,” Doran said during Tuesday’s press conference, according to NBC Chicago.
Unlike other large U.S. cities, Chicago operates without a City Charter, instead using the Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Reformers say this has left the city behind the curve on structural accountability.
What a Charter Could Change
If successful, the proposed charter could:
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Introduce mayoral recall provisions
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Limit the number of City Council members
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Implement term limits for elected officials
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Create new systems to hold officials accountable for incompetence or misconduct
Dan Boland, who has been pushing for a mayoral recall amendment for over a year, said the new campaign complements his own.
“It’s definitely a shot in the arm,” Boland said, noting that signature collection has been challenging with limited volunteers.
Ballot Deadline and Next Steps
To get the charter proposal on the March 2026 ballot, the group needs at least 56,000 valid signatures by December 15, 2025. Time is short, but the activists are hoping growing public interest in local political reform will help them cross the finish line.
NBC Chicago reports that Mayor Johnson’s office has not responded to requests for comment on the initiative.
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