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© Reuters Am I not charming?
Court reverses ruling by a lower court that had ordered Emanuel's name removed from the February 22 ballot, declaring he had not lived in Chicago long enough to qualify for the race.

United States President Barack Obama's former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is eligible to run for mayor of Chicago, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court reversed a ruling by a lower court that had ordered Emanuel's name removed from the February 22 ballot, declaring he had not lived in Chicago long enough to qualify for the race.

Emanuel, who served as a congressman from Chicago before joining Obama's White House in January 2009, left the post in October to launch a mayoral campaign in his home town.

The court found Emanuel had maintained his Chicago residence, despite his time in Washington.