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CHICAGO (AP) — Lori Lightfoot made historical past as the primary Black girl and first brazenly homosexual particular person to function Chicago mayor, sailing to victory 4 years in the past as an outsider who vowed to rid Metropolis Corridor of corruption and ship a safer, extra equitable metropolis.
However her bid for a second time period could be very a lot in query amid issues about persevering with excessive crime within the nation’s third-largest metropolis and accusations that she is overly hostile and typically flat-out imply — criticism she has dismissed as sexist and racist smears towards a tricky chief who’s enthusiastic about Chicago.
Forward of a crowded Feb. 28 election, Lightfoot has been pressured to go on the defensive in a heated race that has become each a character contest and a coverage debate.
“We’ve got began to alter Chicago round for the higher,” Lightfoot stated throughout a current debate. “I wish to end the job that we have now began.”
With 9 candidates within the race, it’s unlikely that anybody will exceed the 50% threshold wanted to win the formally nonpartisan election outright. Which means the winner is more likely to be determined in an April 4 runoff between the highest two vote-getters.
Had been she to lose, Lightfoot could be the primary Chicago mayor in a long time to run for reelection and fail. And in contrast to her predecessors, Lightfoot doesn’t take pleasure in a fundraising benefit over her high rivals.
The election might be an early take a look at this yr of how crime elements into mayoral races in big-city Democratic strongholds. Different main cities electing mayors this yr, together with Philadelphia, are additionally grappling with the way to steadiness progressive beliefs with residents’ day-to-day issues about preserving their households protected.
Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor who had by no means earlier than run for political workplace, emerged from a crowded field in 2019 to defeat much better identified candidates with help from voters weary of political corruption and coverups.
She says her administration has made concrete progress on vital points, from placing cash into neighborhoods which have seen a long time of disinvestment to taking unlawful weapons off the streets. However she notes that the final 4 years haven’t been simple, with a worldwide pandemic and protests over police violence that she stated represented “among the hardest occasions that we’ve ever confronted” in Chicago.
Lightfoot’s dealing with of crises has typically drawn reward, reminiscent of when she ordered lockdowns early within the coronavirus pandemic and a picture of the stern-faced mayor grew to become a well-liked meme. However at different occasions, Lightfoot’s actions have been questioned.
After the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police prompted protests and civil unrest, together with smashing of storefront home windows and fires, Lightfoot ordered town to boost drawbridges over the Chicago River in an try to dam protesters from getting into the downtown space. Some within the metropolis noticed it as elitist, a approach of defending upscale components of the extremely segregated metropolis on the expense of neighborhoods with struggling enterprise districts that additionally suffered critical injury.
However Lightfoot has taken essentially the most warmth for elevated crime, with homicides hitting a 25-year excessive in 2021 with roughly 800. Lightfoot says she has a plan that’s working, noting that homicides decreased final yr. However they’re nonetheless increased than when she took workplace, and issues have grown about different violent crime within the metropolis, together with carjackings.
“We’ve made progress year-over-year,” Lightfoot stated. “However I acknowledge that folks within the metropolis don’t really feel protected.”
Lightfoot’s most formidable opponent could also be two-term U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a former member of the Chicago Metropolis Council, state Senate and county board who misplaced a runoff eight years in the past towards then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Lightfoot has run TV adverts accusing Garcia of corruption, noting his Home marketing campaign took cash from Sam Bankman-Fried, the previous CEO of cryptocurrency alternate FTX accused of large monetary fraud. Garcia stated he didn’t know Bankman-Fried, and his marketing campaign returned direct contributions.
Garcia touts his document of working with communities throughout town and taking part in properly with others in a approach that he says Lightfoot doesn’t.
“She is combative, unnecessarily. She is excessive,” Garcia stated.
Elected as a reform-minded outsider who would rid town of pay-to-play politics, Lightfoot was criticized when a marketing campaign staffer despatched out an electronic mail to public faculty lecturers searching for college students to volunteer for the marketing campaign in alternate for sophistication credit score. Lightfoot apologized, calling it a mistake. Inspectors basic are reviewing for doable coverage violations.
A few of Lightfoot’s largest battles have been with the Chicago Lecturers Union, which backed her opponent in Lightfoot’s first run for mayor. The 2 sides butted heads throughout an 11-day lecturers strike in 2019 and bickered over returning to in-school instruction through the pandemic.
This yr, the lecturers union has endorsed Lightfoot rival Brandon Johnson, a Cook dinner County commissioner and former Chicago trainer and union organizer. Johnson, who has criticized Lightfoot for working as a progressive after which breaking marketing campaign guarantees, needs to shift cash away from the police division and towards higher psychological well being care and different companies for long-neglected neighborhoods just like the one the place he lives on town’s West Aspect.
Lightfoot has additionally clashed with the Chicago police union, the Fraternal Order of Police. At a Metropolis Council assembly, Lightfoot was caught on a microphone referring to a union chief as “this FOP clown.”
The police union has endorsed mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, a former metropolis funds director and colleges chief who served as an adviser to the police union throughout negotiations with Metropolis Corridor. He’s repeatedly known as for extra law enforcement officials, saying, “Crime is uncontrolled.”
Lightfoot has criticized Vallas as a Republican in disguise, noting he has obtained marketing campaign contributions from GOP donors. Her marketing campaign blasted him for being too cozy with the police union, calling its chief a “infamous bigot” and supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Lightfoot has elevated her help in some areas of town. Former Rep. Bobby Rush, a significant critic throughout her first marketing campaign turned distinguished booster this yr, joined Reps. Danny Davis and Robin Kelly — whose districts embrace predominantly Black neighborhoods — in praising her dedication to investing within the areas. Lightfoot maintained that dedication, Rush stated, even “beneath the hardest of circumstances.”
The mayor factors to a document of achievements that embrace pushing by way of a $15 minimal wage that labor unions had looked for years and approval of a long-sought on line casino that’s anticipated to deliver thousands and thousands in income and hundreds of jobs. She additionally has budgeted over $3 million to guard entry to abortion, together with for individuals who journey to Chicago from states the place the process is illegitimate.
Along with Garcia, Vallas and Johnson, the opposite candidates working are rich businessman Willie Wilson, Chicago Metropolis Council members Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer, activist Ja’Mal Inexperienced and state Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner.
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This story has been corrected by deleting the reference to Atlanta as among the many main cities electing a mayor in 2023 and to state that the Chicago Lecturers Union backed Lightfoot’s opponent in 2019.
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