Elections, Mayor | featured news

New York State Sen. Malcolm Smith and five other politicians pleaded not guilty Tuesday to corruption charges in connection with an alleged plot to buy a line on New York City's mayoral ballot. The allegations revived public concerns about a documented culture of exploitation in Albany that has prompted officials to seek legal recourse to induce change.

Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who resigned over a sexting scandal in 2011, says he's weighing a run for New York City mayor this year.

Mayor Cory Booker of Newark was viewed by many as a rising political star but his chances of unseating Gov. Chris Christie were daunting.

A Wisconsin woman who supported Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the recall election against Gov. Scott Walker gave Barrett a little slap on the face Tuesday night after his concession speech.

Mayor Ed Lee held a commanding lead in the mayor's race against a diverse slate of 15 candidates, but because he didn't garner a majority in Tuesday's election the city's instant runoff system has kicked in. Lee, a former city administrator who replaced then-Mayor Gavin Newsom when he became lieutenant governor in January, was ahead with nearly 31 percent of the vote.

Ed Lee will announce today that he is running for a full four-year term as San Francisco mayor, vaulting himself to the top of a crowded field of candidates while breaking a promise not to run that sealed his appointment as interim mayor seven months ago."I've changed my mind," Lee told The Chronicle in an interview Sunday. "I know it might be hard for people to understand that change ... but my change of mind in seeking this office has everything to do with wanting what's best for this city."

New York's police commissioner is the top choice for the city's next mayor to be elected in 2013, according to a new poll released on Wednesday. Ray Kelly, who has served as police commissioner under both three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg and David Dinkins, was the choice of 23 percent of voters, including 18 percent of Democrats, in the Quinnipiac University poll.

Will ex-Obama enforcer's soft side make him mayor of Chicago?

It's full steam ahead for Rahm Emanuel's Chicago mayoral bid.

Rahm Emanuel, who is known for his sharp tongue, offered quiet, controlled responses in a hearing about his eligibility to run for mayor.