Inside Report (6)

Chicago, home of hot 'n' heavy politics, is about to give the US another show.

Richard M. Daley, son of the late Chicago mayor, will challenge incumbent Jane Byrne for the Democratic mayoral nomination in the Feb. 22 primary. Daley has the advantage of almost 100 percent name recognition. A recent newspaper poll puts him 10 points ahead of Mayor Byrne if the election were held today. There's no love lost between the two. ''Heronner'' strongly opposed Daley's election to his current post, Cook County state's attorney. She starts the campaign with an $8 million war chest. Which is one reason Daley announced this early: He needs the time to organize his campaign and raise money. He's hired political consultant Ray Strother, whose work figured in several winning campaigns this week.

He's also been working with a Northwestern University speech professor to give his monotonous oratorical delivery a little more spark.