Obama's chief of staff will quit today and run for Chicago mayor, say White House insiders
By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 11:46 EST, 1 October 2010
Rahm Emanuel will resign as White House chief of staff today and will begin his campaign for Chicago mayor within days, two sources familiar with his plans said.
The two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to pre-empt Mr Emanuel's announcement, said today that he will return to Chicago over the weekend and begin touring neighborhoods on Monday.
Both people said they did not know when Mr Emanuel would make an official announcement about his mayoral bid but that he would launch a website with a message to Chicago voters in the near future.
End of the affair: Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is set to leave President Obama's side to run for Chicago mayor
In Washington, Mr Emanuel's departure would be an unquestioned loss for President Barack Obama, who has counted on Mr Emanuel's intensity, discipline and congressional relationships to keep the White House focused and aggressive.
The job comes with nearly unrivalled pressure and power.
His departure represents a massive setback to the president, just weeks ahead of the mid-term elections.
Mr Emanuel has made no secret of his desire to govern America's third largest city.
Speculation increased after current Mayor Richard Daley announced he was stepping down from 'the best job in America'.
But it is believed Mr Emanuel is weighing up the impact the campaign would have on his wife and three young children, who live with him in Washington.
Tipped: Peter Rouse, left, is likely to be the successor to Mr Emanuel, who is planning to run for Chicago mayor after the resignation of Richard Daley, right
Mr Emanuel represented Chicago in Congress before going to work for Mr Obama.
He will have a tough competition on his hands if he decides to run as the field is full of strong candidates, with no clear front runners.
This won't hurt Mr Emanuel's chances, of course - he instantly becomes the most recognisable name as soon as he announces his intentions.
Already with well over $1 million in his war chest, and his well documented ability to raise huge amounts of money for political candidates around the country, Mr Emanuel"s campaign would also be extremely well funded.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said today in Washington that the president would make a personnel announcement tomorrow.
It's widely expected to be about the chief of staff, but Mr Gibbs would not confirm the reports that Mr Emanuel was resigning.
The president is expected to install senior adviser Pete Rouse, a calm White House presence with his own seasoned understanding of how Washington works, to serve as interim chief of staff.
Mr Gibbs said the president had 'complete loyalty and trust' in Mr Rouse, though he wouldn't confirm that he had been asked to fill interim post.
Other candidates include deputy national security adviser Tom Donilon and Ron Klain, the chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden.
Mr Emanuel's departure could not come at a worse time for Mr Obama.
With polls predicting major losses in the mid-term elections, the president is attempting to go on the offensive this week in attempt to shore up Democrat votes.
Rahm Emanuel will quit today and run for Chicago mayor