John Kelly, Chicago Mayoral Candidate

John Kelly is a local businessman and political newcomer running for Mayor of Chicago in 2027. For Kelly, developing and protecting Chicago is personal—it is part of his family's history and a responsibility he believes in deeply.

Kelly's connection to public safety runs through generations of his family. His late grandfather, Thomas V. Kelly, was a Chicago Police sergeant, while one uncle served with the Chicago Police Department and another was a Cook County Sheriff's deputy. Several of his cousins have also worked in law enforcement, including a current Chicago Police detective.

Kelly was born and raised in Chicago. His parents, Jack Kelly and Alice “Kitty” Buckendahl, were both Chicago natives and married at St. Cajetan's Church in Beverly in 1970. Twenty-seven years later, John married his wife, Julie, at that same church.

His parents owned a currency exchange on Chicago's Southeast Side, serving working-class families in the 10th Ward. They instilled in John and his sister—the two-time-plus decades Chicago Public Schools teacher—the importance of hard work, responsibility and understanding the value of a dollar. Their sacrifices helped send John to Mount Carmel High School, where he played on four state championship football teams in the 1990s.

John and Julie Kelly continue to call Chicago home. They have two adult daughters, one living in Miami and another in Chicago, and their family remains deeply connected to the city they love.

Business & Professional Career

Kelly is an entrepreneur and longtime Chicago businessman. He owns All-Circo Inc. and co-founded Sentinel Security, a private security company. He also spent years as a lobbyist, representing major Chicago institutions and businesses, including the Chicago White Sox, United Center and Bally's Casino. His work included helping negotiate the agreement that brought Bally's Casino to Chicago. Kelly ended his lobbying work with Chicago City Hall when he launched his mayoral campaign.

Campaign for Mayor

Kelly entered the 2027 Chicago mayoral race in July 2026, bringing a business background and an outsider's perspective to the campaign. His campaign centers on public safety, accountability and rebuilding confidence in Chicago's ability to protect its residents. Among his primary proposals is hiring 1,000 additional Chicago police officers during his first year in office and bringing back ShotSpotter technology as part of a broader strategy to detect and respond to gun violence.

For Kelly, the campaign is about more than politics. It is about the city where his family built their lives, where he raised his own family, and where he believes Chicago can once again be a safer, stronger and more prosperous city.