Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who left his powerful job to run for Chicago mayor, has testified for nearly 12 hours at a city election board hearing to determine whether he meets the residency standard required to run for the February mayoral elections.

Emanuels opponents say he is not eligible to run for mayor in the election because he moved out of the city to take a job as US President Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff.

Testifying before a Chicago election board official, Emanuel, who served as chief of staff between January 2009 and October 2010, addressed the issue of his leaving Chicago quite easily.

According to an 1871 state law, mayoral candidates are required to stay in the city for a year before the elections.

Though the hearing had, at times, a carnival feel, the matter may carry significant consequences for Emanuel’s political aspirations, the New York Times reported.

His lawyers contend that Emanuel, who was born in Chicago, represented a North Side Congressional district and owns a home in a leafy neighborhood here, never gave up his legal residency when he went to work at the White House.

Emanuel’s critics say he gave up that residency when he rented out his house, lived elsewhere.

Emanuel’s residency that is listed as part-time in his 2009 state income tax returns was questioned by election lawyer Burton Odelson who said that Emanuel had earlier reviewed and approved of the forms while signing it.

At the hearing, Emanuel recounted every step of his political career. He was also asked to identify rooms in his house by viewing overhead projector images.

Emanuel rented his house to Rob Halpin and extended the lease this past August to June 2011. Halpin might be called in as a future witness in the hearing.

With a picture of his wife on his side, Emanuel insisted that despite renting his home, he kept many of his family possessions including his wife’s wedding dress, diplomas, and his grandfather’s winter coat in the basement.

“[Emanuel is] up for a real fight. He’s polling wonderfully; he has the money and name recognition. He just needs to get over this last hump,” Chicago litigator Andrew Stoltmann was quoted as saying by The Christian Science Monitor.

In a pre-hearing brief, Emanuel’s legal team outlined the ways that they say his residency status has remained valid, despite relocating to Washington to serve as chief of staff, The Christian Science Monitor added.

According to the brief, Emanuel paid the home’s property taxes, homeowners insurance, and water bills, and the home’s address in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood appears on his driver’s license and bank checks.

Current Chicago mayor Richard Daley announced in September he would not run for re-election after almost 22 years in office.

Emanuel kicked off his “Tell It Like It Is” listening tour in October.