The following candidates had their nominations deemed invalid by the Chicago Board of Elections, and thus were denied inclusion on the ballot: Despite speculation that they might challenge Daley, congressmen Luis Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson Jr. both opted not run.

[3][4] Both had explored potential runs, but declared that they had opted to remain in Washington, D.C. after the Democratic Party captured control of the United States House of Representatives in the November 2006 congressional elections.

[14] Some analysts speculated that the true reason that both men opted against running was that they had both concluded that they lacked viable prospects of unseating Daley.

Brown ran an issue-focused campaign, releasing policy papers on housing, ethics, transportation, public safety, and economic development.

[3] Daley's fundraising advantage allowed him to run a three-week long barrage of television advertisements in advance of the election.

[18][19] Organizations Individuals Newspapers Daley won a plurality in each of Chicago's fifty wards, and obtained an absolute majority in forty-nine.

[3] Brown would explain her loss by declaring that she believed that voters had failed to, "understand the magnitude of the crime and corruption," which had occurred under Daley's tenure.