(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – Lori Lightfoot, the first black woman and openly lesbian mayor of Chicago, lost her bid for re-election on Tuesday, becoming the first incumbent mayor in the city in 40 years to suffer such a fate.
With just 16.4% of the vote, Lightfoot placed third behind Paul Vallas, who received 35% of the vote, and Brandon Johnson, who garnered 20.2%.
Lightfoot and her administration have faced criticism for the rising crime rates in the city, with 695 murders reported at the end of 2022 and 804 in 2021, as well as over 20,000 cases of theft in 2022, which was almost double the previous year. The first three weeks of 2023 have seen a 61% increase in crime compared to the previous year.
Lightfoot was trailing multiple candidates in the lead-up to the election, with polls indicating that crime and public safety were the top concerns for voters.
One recent poll showed that Vallas’ lead over Lightfoot had been expanding.
Lightfoot has faced criticism for injecting race into the election and for suggesting that voters who do not support her should not show up to the polls. However, she has accused critics of not wanting to see “a black woman” in leadership.
Lightfoot has also claimed that the “same forces” that did not want Harold Washington to succeed, the Democrat elected in 1983, are still present and that it is important “not to repeat history.”
In her concession speech, Lightfoot called being Chicago’s mayor “the honor of a lifetime” and said she would be rooting and praying for the city’s next mayor.
Vallas, the top vote-getter, was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and called for adding hundreds of police officers to combat crime in the city.
Johnson, who will face Vallas in the April 4 runoff election, received the endorsement of the Chicago Teachers Union and support from several progressive organizations. Lightfoot had criticized Johnson during a debate, saying that his plan to combat crime would make the city less safe.
In conclusion, Lightfoot’s loss can be attributed to the rising crime rates in the city and voters’ concerns about public safety. The April 4 runoff election will determine who will become the next mayor of Chicago.
Bottom line: Lightfoot is finished as Chicago’s mayor.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blames election loss on racism, gender https://t.co/vYbqBDbVSt pic.twitter.com/jXrG71tcyQ
— New York Post (@nypost) March 1, 2023
