Kamala Harris returning to Chicago for MLK breakfast

Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune on Jan 15, 2026

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CHICAGO — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Chicago on Monday for this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced.

Harris, the Democratic nominee for president in 2024, will deliver the keynote address at the annual event honoring the civil rights icon. It will be her latest visit after stopping in Chicago in October as part of her book tour after losing the election to President Donald Trump.

“The Vice President could be anywhere, and the fact that she chose to come to our city and lift up the work we are doing to defend our democracy means a lot to the people of Chicago,” Johnson said in a statement. “Vice President Harris is a trailblazer and a staunch defender of the freedoms and rights of everyday Americans. We are honored to host her and look forward to a historic MLK Interfaith Breakfast this year.”

The theme of this year’s breakfast — a 40-year tradition in Chicago, started under Mayor Harold Washington — is “Defending Our Democracy, Protecting Our Rights.”

Harris’s visit comes as she mulls another run for president in 2028 amid the backdrop of internal party wrangling over what direction Democrats should take in fighting back against Trump’s attacks on Democratic cities like Chicago. Besides the former vice president, however, are other potential presidential hopefuls, including Illinoisans Gov. JB Pritzker and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Harris made an appearance at the city’s Auditorium Theatre in October to promote “107 Days,” her memoir on running for president under a shortened timeline after former President Joe Biden dropped out. Before that, Harris arrived in Chicago in August 2024 for the Democratic National Convention, a blockbuster event that was seen as a major boost to the city’s national brand.

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