Lori Lightfoot, the Democrat Mayor of the city of Chicago, has recently been soundly defeated in the recent re-election race in the wake of her first-term being infested with rising crime rates, a total inability to bounce back from the pandemic, and copious amounts of petty fighting with a number of other officials.
The rate of homicide under the Lightfoot administration has spiked to what are being called “generational highs,” while muggings, robberies, carjackings, and a number of other property crimes have all experiences a noticeable spike, as reported by The New York Times.
The two that ended up pushing through the race and advanced to the runoff race are former schools CEO Paul Vallas –who received the most votes at 35% with nearly 90% of the votes in — and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson — who managed to secure roughly 20% of the vote. Overall, Lightfoot only ended up garnering a sorry 16% of the total vote.
The race ended up being called by the Associated Press for Johnson and Vallas. Vallas has attempting market himself as much harsher on crime and far more moderate than Lightfoot, while Johnson has marketed himself as being extremely and unabashedly far-left.
As reported in a piece by NBC News, Lightfoot is the first elected Chicago mayor in close to four decades to lose their re-election campaigns.
Lightfoot expressed that she had taken time to call both Paul Vallas and Johnson to congratulate them for making it through to a runoff, which itself is slated to take place on the 4th of April.
“Obviously we didn’t win the election today, but I stand here with my head held high,” she stated. “I will be rooting and praying for the next mayor of Chicago.”
As expressed by Lightfoot via posts on social media: “Serving as your mayor has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to all of you who have stood beside me these last four years.”
“We’ve made significant progress building a safer, more equitable city,” she stated. “I thank each and every one of you for believing in me.”
Serving as your mayor has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to all of you who have stood beside me these last four years.
We’ve made significant progress building a safer, more equitable city. I thank each and every one of you for believing in me. pic.twitter.com/l33IGevNPC
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) March 1, 2023
