For the first time in 40 years, the Windy City saw its mayor lose a re-election bid.
Chicago Democrat Lori Lightfoot, 60, is the first mayor to lose re-election as rising crime steered voters away from the polls.
During Tuesday’s election, Lightfoot finished third behind former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, with only 16.4% of the votes.
On April 4, the city’s next mayor will be chosen in a runoff election between Vallas, who received 35% of the vote, and Johnson, who received 20.2%.
“I will be rooting and praying for our next mayor,” Lightfoot said. She added that being Chicago’s mayor was “the honor of a lifetime.”
During her tenure, Lightfoot has faced heavy criticism for rampant crime in the city and for injecting race into the election by saying people who don’t support her shouldn’t vote.
Under Lightfoot, Chicago had 695 murders by the end of 2022 and 804 in 2021, a level not seen in the Windy City in 25 years.
According to the Chicago Police Department’s end-of-year report, the city experienced over 20,000 theft cases in 2022, nearly twice as many theft incidents in 2021.
During the first few weeks of 2023, Chicago police have reported that crime rates have soared by 61%.
Lightfoot claimed on Saturday that those who have criticized her during her tenure don’t want to see “a black woman” in a position of authority.
“I am a black woman — let’s not forget,” she said. “Certain folks, frankly, don’t support us in leadership roles.”
“The same forces that didn’t want Harold Washington to succeed, they’re still here,” Lightfoot said, referring to the 1983 election. “The last time we had an African American mayor in power was 40 years ago. It’s important for us not to repeat history.”
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