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Mayor candidate Lori Lightfoot speaks at a press conference in Chicago in 2016.
Mr Spencer Green / AP
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Mr Spencer Green / AP
Mayor candidate Lori Lightfoot speaks at a press conference in Chicago in 2016.
Mr Spencer Green / AP
The next mayor of Chicago will be either a self-appointed political outsider who has never run for office, a long-time city councilor and chairman of the county's Democratic Party. Whatever the case may be, for the first time, the city's top political leader will be an African-American woman.
Former Federal Attorney Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Council Chair Toni Preckwinkle took first place in the tight race on Tuesday night. They beat 12 other candidates, many of whom entered the race after current mayor Rahm Emanuel surprised the city by announcing in September that he would not run for a third term. Now, Lightfoot, which won 17.5% of the vote with 90,000 votes, and Preckwinkle, with 16% of the vote with 82,000 votes, will face each other in the second round of elections.
They beat William Daley, whose father and brother have been mayor for more than 20 years. Daley, who has spent millions of dollars more than the other candidates, has enjoyed great notoriety but has not been able to climb to the top. He took third place with about 76,000 votes, or 15% of the total.
The mayoral candidate, Toni Preckwinkle, appears with supporters Tuesday night in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune / TNS via Getty Images
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Chicago Tribune / TNS via Getty Images
The mayoral candidate, Toni Preckwinkle, appears with supporters Tuesday night in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune / TNS via Getty Images
The first African-American woman to occupy the post of mayor of Chicago will take the reins of a city that has long battled allegations of civil rights violations. Both candidates stressed the need to reform the Chicago Police Service, but Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, made it a touchstone of his campaign.
Lightfoot chaired the police accountability working group, created by Emanuel to respond to accusations of police racism. She was also president of the Chicago Police Board, an independent civilian body that adjudicates police disciplinary matters.
"No one in the city has been such a keen, persistent and demanding advocate of police reform and accountability," Lightfoot said. Chicago Tribune.
Preckwinkle, a former history professor who has spent decades in politics in Chicago, also focused on the importance of providing a solid education in public schools. Supported by the Chicago Teachers Union, Preckwinkle supports a moratorium on school closures and charter school expansions. Preckwinkle has been President of Cook County Council since 2010; Previously, she was alderman of the city's 4th district for 19 years.
"We may not have arrived yet at the finish line, but we should acknowledge that history is being made," Preckwinkle said Tuesday night, according to the Tribune. "It is clear that we are at a decisive moment in the history of our city, but the challenges facing our city are not just ideological, it is not enough to say that Chicago is at a crossroads. We must fight to change course. "
On Tuesday night, both candidates began to emphasize their differences. "We spoke little about common ground," said the tribune reported.
Preckwinkle said that even though his opponent "was making several appointments in the administrations of Daley and Emanuel, I was fighting the power elite trying to retain this city." Lightfoot said she was the only candidate for reform who remained in the race on "a group of establishment figures," he added. tribune reported.
Lightfoot also highlighted his sexual orientation, touting his status as the first openly gay candidate at Chicago City Hall. "I run as a mayoral candidate to build a city government in Chicago that represents and defends all people, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation," she said.
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