Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot ran for re-election, and faced eight challengers: Kam Buckner (member of Illinois House of Representatives),[3] Willie Wilson (businessman and perennial candidate),[4][5] Roderick Sawyer (member of the Chicago City Council),[6] Sophia King (member of the Chicago City Council),[7] Ja'Mal Green (community activist),[8] Paul Vallas (former CEO of Chicago Public Schools),[9] Brandon Johnson (member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners),[10] and Jesus "Chuy" García (U.S. Representative from Illinois's 4th congressional district).

[11] Candidates who expressed interest but ultimately declined to run include Arne Duncan (former U.S. Secretary of Education),[12][13][14] Mike Quigley (U.S. Representative from Illinois's 5th congressional district),[15] and John Catanzara (president of Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police).

[16] News reports suggested the following prospective candidates, who all eventually declined to run: La Shawn Ford (member of Illinois House of Representatives),[17] Stacy Davis Gates,[18] and Melissa Conyears-Ervin.

[19] In the first round, Vallas and Johnson won 32.9% and 21.6% of the vote respectively and advanced to the run-off election.

This was the first City Council election following redistricting based on the results of the 2020 United States census.