Richard M. Daley is the Mayor of City of Chicago Daley has pursued innovative approaches to address such issues as employment, the environment, education, and public safety. A former state senator and county prosecutor, Daley was elected Mayor on April 4, 1989, to complete the term of the late Harold Washington, and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003 by overwhelming margins. Daley has brought design to the core of civic debate. His interest in architecture and planning issues is personal and passionate and has made a dramatic difference in the way his city looks and feels.