The Chicago mayor loses her reelection bid

CHICAGO Mayor Lori Lightfoot | In the latest sign of growing crime concerns in one of the nation's biggest cities, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot failed to qualify for a top-two runoff. A runoff will be held in April between long-time Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas and Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson, backed by progressives. In Tuesday's municipal election, It has been over 30 years since Chicago lost its mayor. A rise in violent crime during Lightfoot's administration, a slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and years of battles with police and teachers' unions did not enable her to overcome her problems. 

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In an announcement Tuesday evening, Lightfoot acknowledged that she had conceded and now was "rooting and praying" for the next Chicago mayor. After Lightfoot conceded, Vallas and Johnson highlighted a message of tough-on-crime and pro-police that dominated their campaign. There will be no crime in Chicago," said Vallas. In a city where the Democratic ticket won the 2020 presidential election by nearly 83%, Vallas' more conservative message is important for success over the next five weeks.

Tuesday night, Johnson showed his intent to consolidate liberal support among the nine candidates by mentioning each by name in his speech. It is my pleasure to run for your mayor, too, if you voted for another candidate," Johnson said. The top two candidates on the ballot will advance to the runoff on April 4 since no candidate is poised to top 50% in Tuesday's election. In a city often criticized by conservatives in national debates about violence and gun control, Lightfoot, the first black woman, and first out-gay mayor, rose to prominence as a pugnacious reformer who promised an end to corruption and clubby government that had long plagued the city.

There's a Chicago Teachers Union backing Johnson.

The Second City's public transit system is crowded, so Lightfoot must worry about being ousted in the first round of voting due to contentious brawls over policing, teacher pay, Covid-19 policies, and long lines. Lightfoot is vulnerable as a result. It endorsed Vallas as a candidate for mayor. The Chicago Teachers Union backed Johnson. She had few allies in her reelection bid, and many powerful interests were aligned against her. Lightfoot clashed with Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, but he stayed out. The time polls had cast approximately 507,000 ballots closed on Tuesday. Chicago is worried about crime and public safety. 

Violence spiked in 2021 and 2020. A Chicago Police Department year-end report for 2022 shows that though shootings and murders have decreased since last year, other crimes like theft, carjacking, and robberies have increased. The dynamics of the mayoral election have been like what played out in other big cities in recent years. Mayor Eric Adams won in 2021 because he emphasized police reform and toughness against crime. Last year, voters in Los Angeles chose Rep. Karen Bass over billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who had invested $100 million in his campaign.

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