Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman and rumored Chicago mayoral candidate Manny Flores will endorse former Chicago School Board President Gery Chico for the job Monday morning. Flores, a former Daley critic when he served on the Chicago City Council, has maintained a close relationship with U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez in the past, who also might jump into the race.

UPDATE (10:22 a.m.): Here's Flores' statement, via a press release:

“For more than 20 years, Gery Chico has worked tirelessly in the trenches of city government to improve life for Chicagoans. He knows what needs to be fixed and more importantly, he knows how to fix it,” Manny Flores said. “When it comes to improving education for our children and bringing more jobs to Chicago, I believe Gery will be a mayor who will get things done for people because I’ve seen him do it before.”