President of the Chicago Teachers Union, Karen Lewis, will no longer consider running for mayor.
According to the Chicago Tribune, she isn’t running at all because of a recently discovered cancerous brain tumor. On Oct. 6, Lewis went to the hospital after “experiencing discomfort Sunday evening,” according to a statement from the CTU. She has had surgery and is taking a break from her CTU responsibilities.
The fiery, and sometimes controversial, public education advocate, said she was “seriously” considering running for the city’s next mayor. Even though she never declared her candidacy, she still toured the city as part of her “Conversations with Karen,” to discuss issues that she believed were important. The Tribune reports that she had raised $87,000 in campaign donations.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office issued a statement on Monday: “Karen Lewis is a passionate advocate for her beliefs and has always been willing to speak up for her view of what’s best — not only for the teachers that she represents, but also for issues critical to the future of our city. Along with all Chicagoans, we will keep Karen and her family in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope to see her on her feet very soon.”
About Post Author
