Residency Issue May Halt Emanuel's Mayoral Bid

Rahm Emanuel resigned as White House chief of staff so he could run for mayor of Chicago. But election lawyers in the Windy City say Emanuel's political dreams may be dashed because he doesn't meet Chicago's residency requirements, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. When Emanuel went to Washington, D.C., to work for President Barack Obama, he rented out his house -- and now the current tenant refuses to break the lease.

"The guy does not meet the statutory requirements to run for mayor," election attorney Burt Odelson told the Sun-Times. "He hasn't been back there in 18 months."

According to experts, a candidate for Chicago mayor must live in the city for a year before the election. Merely owning a home is not enough to establish residency -- a candidate must have a physical site that they can actually live in.

Chicago's mayoral election is in February.