Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses Bid For Reelection

Bloomberg-Contributor

“You will not be defined by how you fall. You will be defined by how hard you work and how much you do for other people.”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the first openly gay person and Black woman to serve as mayor of Chicago, lost her bid for a second term Tuesday. This loss made her the first Chicago mayor in more than three decades to lose a reelection bid. Lightfoot failed to reach the runoff in a fraught race that centered around growing concerns around crime.

Her loss wasn’t a shock to most political observers who had been watching polls, but to the city, her loss was surprise, given the fact that for over a 30-year stretch, Chicago has only had two mayors.

Lightfoot finished third in Tuesday’s election with 16.89% of the vote, behind former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas at 33.95% and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson with 20.32%.

CNN projects that Paul Vallas, who is known to run a tough-on-crime message, and Brandon Johnson, who is backed by progressives and the Chicago Teachers Union, will advance to the April runoff.

Although Vallas has ran for governor and lieutenant governor as a Democrat and has always referred to himself as a Democrat, Lightfoot has caled Vallas a “closet Republican.” She has accused him of being who is anti-abortion and pro-voucher.

After Lightfoot learned of her loss on Tuesday evening, she told her supporters she is now “rooting and praying for the next mayor of Chicago.”

“Obviously, we didn’t win the election. But I stand here with my head held high and my heart full of thanks,” Lightfoot also told her supporters.

“You will not be defined by how you fall. You will be defined by how hard you work and how much you do for other people.”


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