Photo Courtesy of CNN
On Tuesday, February 28th, Lori Lightfoot lost her place in the Chicago election, finishing behind Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas. Lightfoot would come in third place with 16.89% of the vote, Johnson in second place with 20.32% of the vote, and Vallas with 33.95% of the vote.
“Obviously, we didn’t win the election. But I stand here with my head held high and my heart full of thanks.” Lightfoot conceded shortly before the 9:00 PM cutoff point. She would also go on to say that taking on the role of being the Mayor of Chicago was “…the honor of a lifetime.”
Lightfoot was elected Mayor in 2019, promising to end crime and corruption, while being the first black woman and openly gay person to serve as Mayor in Chicago. However, opponents from the right and left sides of the political spectrum criticized Lightfoot, calling her a “divisive” leader and blaming her for the increasing crime rates in Chicago that occurred during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Lightfoot’s loss also makes it forty years since a Chicago Mayor lost at a re-election bid. Her opponents, Vallas and Johnson, celebrated with their supporters as they will face off on April 4th to decide who will become the new Mayor of Chicago.
Vallas, 69, during his victory party, said that Lightfoot had called to congratulate him, and asked his supporters to give her a round of applause for the work she had done while Mayor of Chicago.
Vallas then gave a speech, saying; “We will have a safe Chicago. We will make Chicago the safest city in America…It will not only come from providing the police with the resources and the support that they need, but from building the bond between the police department and the community so we have true community policing.”
Photo Courtesy of ABC6 Action News
Johnson, 46, addressed his supporters the same night, saying, “Tonight is about building a Chicago that truly invests in its people. The most radical thing we can do as a city is to love the people of Chicago…The finances of this city belong to the people of the city. So, we’re gonna invest in the people of the city.”
Photo Courtesy of WBEZ Chicago
The Chicago Election could be the start of a new trend as blue cities begin to reshape the Democratic Party and its approach to public safety issues when it comes to a post-pandemic world. Lightfoot’s defeat may reflect a growing nationwide trend as voters react to increasing crime rates, with another example of this being former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin being voted out in 2022, with voters stating that his progressive reforms were “too lenient” and “made the city less safe”.