Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot failed to clinch a second term as the city’s mayor after voters denied the incumbent a chance to lead Illinois’ capital.
Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will now compete to take over the post, which would make the winning contender the new leader of the nation’s third-largest city.
Vallas is a former school CEO who has won the support of the city’s police union, while Johnson currently serves as the Cook County commissioner with backing from the Chicago Teachers Union. They will both advance to the April runoff, rising above the other nine candidates who were unsuccessful in securing at least 50% of the votes.
Lightfoot is Chicago’s first Black woman mayor and first openly gay person to serve in the role. In 2019, she won her first term and vowed to end years of corruption in the city’s political arena. But critics say crime has skyrocketed since assuming the post and has been critiqued for being “a divisive, overly contentious leader,” according to an Associated Press report.
On Tuesday, Lightfoot said serving as mayor was “the honor of a lifetime.”
“Regardless of tonight’s outcome, we fought the right fights and we put this city on a better path,” Lightfoot said.
Meanwhile, Vallas says should he be elected, he will work to combat crime.
“We will have a safe Chicago. We will make Chicago the safest city in America,” he said in his victory speech Tuesday.
And Johnson says he will work to pump the city with more access to mental healthcare, education, jobs and affordable housing.
“A few months ago they said they didn’t know who I was. Well, if you didn’t know, now you know,” he said during his victory speech Tuesday. He also thanked his wife for her support, stating that if he wins, “a Black woman will still be in charge.”
