CHICAGO (AP) ― Illinois’ highest court put President Barack Obama’s former White House chief of staff back in the race for Chicago mayor Thursday, three days after a lower court threw the name off the ballot because he had not lived in the city for a full year.

The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Rahm Emanuel’s favor, saying an appeals court decision that said the candidate needed to be physically present in Chicago was “without any foundation in Illinois law.”

“As I said from the beginning, I think the voters deserve the right to make the choice of who should be mayor,” Emanuel said shortly after getting word of the high court’s action. “I’m not quite sure emotionally where I’m at.