Andrea Zopp named 2nd deputy mayor of Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former U.S. Senate Candidate and Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp is the new deputy mayor of Chicago. She will be focusing on improving city neighborhoods. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the appointment Thursday morning.

The long and short of it- there is a new player in Chicago mayoral politics. The African-American woman who earlier this year lost the democratic primary for U.S. Senate is setting up shop at city hall.

As he heralded increased South Side CTA service, Emanuel also announced Andrea Zopp as his new deputy mayor to be focused on neighborhood development.

"I consider it fortunate for the city that somebody with this background is willing to give her time to public service," Emanuel said.

"I know the mayor believes as I do passionately that Chicago will only be as strong as our neighborhoods," Zopp said.

Zopp is named just days after a Kaiser Foundation/New York Times poll found 62 percent of all Chicagoans surveyed disapprove of Emanuel's performance, with a 70 percent disapproval rate among African-Americans.

Archietta Shannon says she still supports the mayor.

"The mayor is doing a good job. And I'm going to be out there fighting for him to continue to be the mayor," she said.

Zopp is a past Emanuel Chicago Public Schools board appointee who voted to close public schools and in favor of at least one corrupt contract.

The mayor suddenly ended the news conference when the possibility was raised that Zopp might use her new job as a platform to run for mayor either against Emanuel or if the incumbent should choose not to run again.

"I just started as the deputy mayor. I'm focused on doing that job," Zopp said.

Zopp refused to answer questions about whether she would ever consider running for mayor.

Interestingly, Zopp did not say no or never. Clearly she learned a few things about politics during her failed run for the U.S. Senate.