City Treasurer Stephanie Neely is one of several potential running mates under consideration by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.

On Tuesday, Neely confirmed she's spoken with the governor about the ballot spot that opened up when Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon opted to run for state comptroller in 2014.

A Quinn campaign spokeswoman declined to say whether Quinn plans to pick Neely, saying "the governor is in the process of reviewing candidates for the position."

Neely, a former banker who lives in the North Kenwood neighborhood, has long been mentioned as a possible Quinn running mate. Though Quinn faces no formidable primary challenge, selecting Neely, an African-American woman, could help the governor secure his connections with black voters in the general election. African-American voters in the Chicago area are key for Democrats to win statewide office, and a female running mate also could help the ticket on social issues against a socially conservative Republican opponent.

Neely was appointed to her current post by former Mayor Richard Daley in late 2006 and was elected to the position in 2007. She doesn't face re-election in Chicago until 2015, so she wouldn't have to give up her current job to run for lieutenant governor next year.

A new state law requires candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run as a team in the primary election. And candidates for governor cannot begin circulating their nominating petitions until they secure a running mate. Candidacy petitions must be filed by early December. All four major Republican contenders have announced their running mates and are circulating candidacy petitions.

Tribune reporter Monique Garcia contributed.

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