CHICAGO — A routine attempt to renew a library card took an unexpected turn this week when local resident Gary Thompson, 34, accidentally declared himself the mayor of Chicago.
Thompson, an IT consultant with what he describes as “medium-level keyboard skills,” was filling out an online form on the city’s website when a glitch caused his personal information to auto-populate into multiple government fields. Without realizing it, he inadvertently signed a document under “Mayor of Chicago” while trying to request an e-book on sourdough bread baking.
“I was just trying to get a copy of The Yeast Awakens, and now apparently I have a government office,” said Thompson, looking bewildered. “I thought the ‘Position Title’ field was asking for my job, so I just put ‘Boss,’ because I’m self-employed. Next thing I know, I get an email welcoming me to the mayor’s office.”
City officials were just as confused when an automatic approval system processed the form and sent an official badge, a congratulatory email, and a meeting invite for a budget discussion on pothole repairs.
“We’re still not sure how this happened,” said City Clerk Marissa Delgado. “But legally speaking, he did submit the correct paperwork. And technically, no one ever un-clicked the ‘I accept the terms’ box.”
Local news broke the story when Thompson showed up at City Hall with a printed-out email titled “Welcome, Mayor Thompson!” and demanded to see his new office. Security initially attempted to remove him, but upon verifying the email, they reluctantly let him in.
“I just wanted to clear things up,” Thompson explained. “But then they asked if I had any immediate policy plans. So I figured, why not? First thing I did was make street parking free on Sundays and add a mandatory pizza party to city council meetings. Also, no more confusing online forms.”
Legal experts are now debating whether Thompson’s appointment is binding. “This is an unprecedented situation,” said Professor Janet Mills from the University of Chicago. “It raises an important question: If you accidentally become mayor, do you have to stay mayor?”
Chicago residents seem to be embracing their accidental leader. A recent poll showed Thompson has a higher approval rating than most past officials, largely due to his promise of citywide Taco Tuesdays.
As of Friday, the real mayor’s office was still working to resolve the situation. “He’s not actually the mayor,” a spokesperson insisted. “But he did get a badge, and technically no one told him to leave, so it’s complicated.”
For now, Thompson remains in office, mostly because no one knows how to undo his paperwork. In the meantime, his latest executive order calls for “more dogs in public parks” and a city-sponsored Netflix subscription for every resident.
“I didn’t plan for this,” Thompson said, signing a napkin as an official document. “But I think I’m doing alright. At the very least, I’m definitely the first mayor to have gotten the job by mistake.”