<p>The search for retiring Chicago police superintendent <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/police-reform/2026/07/01/larry-snelling-chicago-superintendent-police-retire" >Larry Snelling’s</a> replacement will take place against the backdrop of a highly contested mayoral race.</p><p>Ultimately, it's in Mayor Brandon Johnson's hands to pick Snelling's successor, with the City Council's approval. Johnson has not yet declared his intent whether to seek reelection. But if he does run, a public approval rating in the low 30s has him in serious danger of becoming a one-term mayor.</p><p>That kind of political uncertainty is likely to discourage candidates from outside Chicago — and even some insiders — from applying for the $284,016-a-year job.