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Lewis has been hospitalized since Sunday, but there had not
been any previous information about her condition.
Lewis has not announced she will run for mayor but she has been
raising funds and testing the waters.
The African-American labor leader is seen as a potentially
formidable opponent to Emanuel, who has seen his support among
black voters decline in the three years he has been running the
nation's third largest city.
In a brief statement, the union said Lewis is recovering well
but gave no details on the nature of the illness or the surgery
she underwent.
"I understand that .. many people in this city, want to know
about Karen Lewis' health status because they care about the
mayoral election in this city," union Vice President Jesse
Sharkey said at a news conference, according to the Chicago
Tribune.
"I think that's fair enough, but please be aware that's a
question that I can't answer," Sharkey said.
A Chicago Tribune poll in August showed Lewis had 43 percent
support compared with 39 percent support for Emanuel. However,
her war chest of some $70,000 is dwarfed by Emanuel's $8 million
in campaign funds.
Lewis has been president of the teachers union since 2010. She
rose to prominence in 2012 when she led the city's first
teachers' strike in 25 years. She has criticized Emanuel for
closing 50 schools, many of them in heavily African-American
communities.
(Editing by Leslie Adler)
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