Former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley will not run for Illinois governor after all. His campaign says Daley will explain more at a press conference in Chicago Tuesday morning.
Daley has flirted with running for office before, only to back out. This time, he insisted he was in it for keeps.
"I'm committed to running for governor," Daley said in a recent campaign video. "There is no exploratory piece in this anymore."
But Monday night, Daley's campaign confirmed he's dropping out of the race.
In an interview on WGN-TV, Daley explained his decision.
"Being a candidate is very different and I've come to realize that over the last couple months," Daley told the television station.
Daley nonetheless maintained his sharp criticism of Illinois' political leaders, especially incumbent Governor Pat Quinn. But without Daley, the field is clear for Quinn to clinch Democratic nomination.
In a statement, the Quinn campaign says it respects Daley's decision and that a divisive primary would have only helped Republicans.
