Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will ask voters to send her back to City Hall for a second term as head of the country’s third-largest city, she officially announced on Tuesday.
In a video announcing his candidacy for re-election, Lightfoot tried to transform the criticism that she was too combative, in force, by swearing to continue fighting for the people of Chicago while seeking a second term. Embracing her image as a political fighter, Lightfoot bets that Chicago voters will see her as a righteous fighter, not someone who throws unnecessary hair in the hay.
“When we fight for change, we oppose a global pandemic, we work to keep children in school, we take up arms and gangs, systemic inequality and political corruption just to have the strength to try to stop Chicago’s progress – of course.” I take it personally because it’s our city, “Lightfoot said. “Change does not happen without a fight. This is difficult. It takes time. And I will be the first to admit that I am simply not the most patient person. I’m just a human being, and I guess sometimes that shows. But just because some people don’t always like my delivery doesn’t mean we don’t. “
Lightfoot’s announcement that she will seek re-election in the mayoral race in February 2023 is not surprising. Despite wishes from some critics of Lightfoot that she would retire from the race, the first-term mayor has long been trying to defend his record and seek another four years in office.
The success and future of this city is personal to me. And I will never stop fighting to make Chicago fairer and fairer for everyone. That is why I am running for re-election. pic.twitter.com/ZUS5ut1ZpO
– Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) June 7, 2022
The mayor is currently facing five contenders, all of whom have raised questions about high crime and criticized its leadership as unnecessarily divisive. For now, her opponents include South Side Ald. Roderick Sawyer, son of a former mayor; former chief executive of the Chicago Public School Paul Wallace; Cam Buckner of Illinois; Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez; and businessman Willie Wilson.
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During more than three years in office, Lightfoot has faced leapfrogging, not running as transparent an administration as promised, and engaging in constant battles with unions representing teachers and police – all while struggling to build good relations with politicians or leaders in the city. business community.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks about the acceptance of the deal with Casino Bally by the City Council on May 25, 2022 (Brian Casella / Chicago Tribune)
Her poll has been difficult in recent months, especially with white and Latin American voters, but the tough mayor cannot be fired.
Lightfoot has quietly built strong relationships with several key leaders in the profession, who hailed its progress on union issues such as the Fair Work Week Ordinance and the $ 15 minimum wage. Load in any form also has power. As mayor, Lightfoot has set aside about $ 3 billion in federal funds for urban projects and is launching a series of programs aimed at addressing one of the biggest criticisms of Mayor Ram Emmanuel’s mandate – divestment in Chicago’s neighborhoods, especially in the south and west. country.
Lightfoot may also say he deserves more time to finish the job after facing the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and some of the city’s most significant civil unrest since the 1960s.
Whoever becomes mayor of Chicago in 2023 will take responsibility for a city with major financial challenges, endemic gun violence and a worrying history of segregation that persists and contributes to crime and inequality.
The next mayor will also manage major changes in Chicago’s public schools, which will move to an independently elected school board in the coming years. Lightfoot is campaigning for an elected school board, but has tried unsuccessfully to block a state law creating a 21-member body to oversee Chicago’s schools.
As a candidate in 2019, Lightfoot said he would be different from Emanuel and vowed not to lead with his “middle finger”. But as mayor, Lightfoot took the approach to governance that Ald had led. Susan Sadlowski Garza, a longtime ally who said she would not support the re-election of the mayor to sum up his time as mayor: “I have never met anyone who has managed to infuriate everyone they enter. contact – police, fire, teachers, aldermen, business, production.
Lightfoot at various times: accused Uber of “paying black ministers” to oppose travel-sharing taxes without providing any evidence; told the aldermen “don’t come to me for …” if they can’t afford her budget; and confronted a teacher union activist by slapping his finger in the woman’s face while her personal assistant tried unsuccessfully to abduct her.
The popular consensus that Lightfoot is alienating large constituencies is a sharp reversal of the position it took in the run-off in the April 2019 election, when it defeated all 50 divisions in a landslide victory against Cook County Tony Chairman Tony Prequinkel, who is also leader of the Cook County Democratic Party.
But Lightfoot’s position with voters is more complex and has always been.
In the first round of the mayoral campaign in 2019, Lightfoot emerged from the historic field with 14 candidates with approximately 18% of the vote. Although that was enough for her to take first place and move her to the final round against Preckwinkle, she still shows that 4 out of 5 voters in this first round chose someone else. In these initial elections in February 2019, Lightfoot received widespread support from voters on the shores of the lake on the north side, who are often liberal. This time, the mayor is expected to be the strongest with African-American voters – but this could be complicated by the field, including strong black alternatives.
Wilson, in particular, could be a challenge to Lightfoot’s fate, as he won most of the black divisions in 2019 and helped boost her campaign from the south and west with his support during the runoff.
Buckner issued a statement Tuesday calling Lightfoot “completely ill-prepared to run Chicago” and saying she lacked “some strategic vision for safer Chicagoans.”
“Car theft and violence are at record highs, economic divestment is draining our neighborhoods, our schools are under-resourced, our police department is overcrowded and understaffed. Instead of a public safety plan, she built bridges, erected barricades and demanded curfew, Buckner said.
Another contender, Wilson, said Lightfoot “proved she was unqualified” and said his biggest mistake was supporting her in the 2019 run-off, also criticizing her record for crime, property taxes and social unrest after the murder of George Floyd by the police.
The announcement of Lightfoot’s re-election also drew criticism from the Chicago Teachers’ Union, which tore it apart for balancing the city’s budget in part, asking the school district to cover pension payments traditionally paid by the mayor’s office.
“The mayor launched his re-election by balancing the city budget on the backs of children who need more instead of less, “said a statement from the union, which is expected to support another candidate. “Chicago voters need to understand that this budget is unacceptable and another example of failed leadership.
A small number of mostly black aldermen attended Lightfoot’s fundraising campaign in the city center, reflecting the political challenges Lightfoot faces with white voters and Latin speakers.
She Has the Place, West Side Ald. Emma Mits said when asked why she supports Lightfoot. “I’ve always stuck to the incumbent.”
Burnett said the mayor deserved a second term, despite experiencing “growing pain” in her first few years.
“I supported Mayor Daly. I supported Ram Emanuel. I will support the nurse and give her another chance to show what she can do, “said Burnett.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
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