Black, lesbian and Chicago's leader | Mayor L …

For the first time in history, a black and bad woman will be mayor of the American city of Chicago. From 1837, voters in that city had chosen only a black mayor and a mayor. Yesterday, however, Lori Lightfoot, a 56-year-old former federal prosecutor and lawyer who had never held an elected office, beat Toni Preckwinkle, also an African-American, by a wide margin of 74%, compared to 26% of the vote. . preliminary, with already the essential of the examination.

"We are facing powerful interests," said Lightfoot in his victory speech, accompanied by his wife and daughter. "Today, you have done more than just mark history, you have created a movement for change," he badured a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. "At the beginning of our campaign, nobody had confidence in our possibilities, now see where we have arrived," added the elected mayor, who promised to put the interests of all the inhabitants of the city above the interests of some powerful ones.

His opponent, Preckwinkle, is the chief executive of Cook County, where Chicago is located, which badysts said he was playing against it in an election in which voters wanted to revitalize the city. Political establishment of the city, fed up with gun violence. It takes more lives than any other big American city and years of political corruption. "It may not be the result we wanted, but even if I'm disappointed, I'm not discouraged," Preckwinkle said of the results. "It's clearly a historic evening, because not so long ago, two African-American women in a second position in the mayor's office would have been unthinkable," he said. he adds. Preckwinkle also spoke of the fate of the city of Chicago. "We have real challenges in our country and in our city, and I look forward to working with elected Mayor Lightfoot to address these challenges," he said.

The two candidates, the two Democrats, competed with progressive reformist programs and pledged to clean up the city's government and reduce economic inequality. "People are waiting for something different to happen, being the boat for it is overwhelming," Lightfoot told reporters on Tuesday before the polls opened.

Former President Barack Obama congratulated both politicians for the election. "Great to see the historic run at the Chicago City Hall between two highly qualified candidates.Congratulations to our next Mayor, Lori Lightfoot – and Toni Preckwinkle did a good campaign and made us proud.I know that with the heart of our city and Lori's leadership, the best days in Chicago are yet to come, "he tweeted.

This is what the people of the city are expecting from the wind, who has made it clear that they want the next mayor to address the main issues affecting the city of 2.7 million people, including economic inequality. and armed violence. More lives are claimed than in other major cities of the United States. Last year, more than 550 people were killed in Chicago because of gang violence, often fueled by drug trafficking, mostly in African-American neighborhoods and struggling with economic hardships. This number exceeds the amount of homicides in New York City and Los Angeles, where the population is higher. These homicide rates have led US President Donald Trump to threaten in 2017 to intervene in the city with the federal forces to end what he called the carnage.

According to badysts, the vote was marked by a sense of satiety of local politics in this democratic fortress. "Chicago voters seem to have a mental attitude" to expel lazy people, "said Evan McKenzie, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois. "The message is that (voters) want new ideas and a cleaner government," he added. "They are tired of corruption, federal investigations of city officials, police misconduct and a budget crisis."

Lightfoot will succeed Rahm Emanuel, who was at the time a Democratic Party star, the first chief of staff of Barack Obama and also the chief of staff of Bill Clinton. Emanuel suffered political damage for his treatment of the Laquan McDonald case and decided not to seek a third term.

In 2014, a white policeman shot and killed McDonald, a 17-year-old black man, shot in the air, one miss from McDonald's 16, but far enough away from the uniformed policeman. The very late broadcast in 2015 of a video showing the murder of the teenager has inflamed the anger of the people and triggered months of protests.

Emanuel was accused of attempted concealment. He expelled the police chief and embarked on a reform that introduces some changes, strives to restore public confidence and reduce armed violence.

The police officer was sentenced in January to approximately seven years in prison for the death of the young man.