Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday defended his critiques of the Democratic Party as he once again signaled his political career isn’t over.
Emanuel, now a CNN political commentator, has become a vocal critic of the party after the failures of the 2024 election cycle. And he has most recently accused Democrats of focusing on issues like transgender bathrooms instead of education and crime.
At an Economic Club of Chicago event, Emanuel argued culture wars are helping Republicans win nationwide.
“I wasn’t looking to have a fight on woke culture. I was looking to have a debate about the failure of eighth graders to read,” Emanuel said. “I don’t think culturally that being not just into the generic woke debate is wrong politically. It’s also [that] the data is pretty clear that people think that’s all we care about.”
He said Democrats “can’t be a party that believes in equity and allows two-thirds of your kids who can’t read.” And when asked whether his ongoing divisions with progressives might cost him him his political future, he offered, “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
Democrats “sunk” their own party, Emanuel said, by ignoring the plight of the American Dream — to be able to afford a home and an education. He described the party as “off kilter.”
“We did. We did. We sunk our party. We’re responsible for that,” Emanuel said. “And we’re also therefore responsible for rebuilding it.”
As for his own future, Emanuel said he needs more time. He would have plenty of local races to choose from, including a potential 2026 Senate race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, should he choose to retire; a 2026 governor’s race should Gov. JB Pritzker not seek reelection; a Chicago mayoral election in 2027, or even a 2028 presidential bid. Mayor Brandon Johnson, in Washington this week to testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee about the city’s sanctuary status, has dipped to single-digit approval numbers.
“I’m not done with public service, and I’m hoping public service is not done with me,” Emanuel said. He called Pritzker, also viewed as a 2028 presidential hopeful, a “great governor,” and vowed to support his reelection, should he choose to run again.
Moderator Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune Editorial Board editor, asked Emanuel if his ambitions are larger than Chicago after his stints as U.S. ambassador to Japan under former President Joe Biden, chief of staff to former President Barack Obama and adviser to former President Bill Clinton.
“Amy and I call Chicago home. And we are living here. Two, I don’t know, if you’re a global city, you should probably be happy that one of your citizens has a little global experience,” Emanuel said. “Third, Chicago is my home and it is where I feel at home.”