US: Emanuel challenges ruling in bid to be mayor

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has asked Illinois' highest court to overturn a ruling that knocked him off the ballot for Chicago mayor, calling the decision "squarely inconsistent" with previous rulings about the state's election law.

Mr Emanuel's lawyers filed the request a day after an appeals court struck his name from the 22 February ballot because he did not live in Chicago for a year before the election.

In the appeal, Mr Emanuel's attorneys called Monday's decision "one of the most far-reaching election law rulings ever" issued in the state.

Challengers to Mr Emanuel's candidacy argued that the Democrat - who was favourite to win the race - did not qualify because he rented out his Chicago home and moved his family to Washington to work for President Barack Obama for nearly two years.

Mr Emanuel - who quit his job and moved back to Chicago in October after incumbent Richard Daley announced he would not seek another term in office - has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was living in Washington at the request of the president.