A 'Stunning Defeat' in Chicago Mayoral Race

UPDATE Feb 28, 2023 9:28 PM CST

For the first time in four decades, a Chicago elected incumbent mayor has failed to win a re-election bid. When the city went to the polls Tuesday, Lori Lightfoot did not get enough votes to make the runoff election, WBEZ reports, meaning she'll be a one-term mayor. The top vote-getters Tuesday were former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who will head to the April runoff. Lightfoot conceded Tuesday night.

Feb 28, 2023 8:03 AM CST

Chicago is holding a mayoral election Tuesday, but it will likely take weeks—and a runoff election—before a winner is declared. A look at what's happening, per the AP:

• Big field: Nine candidates are competing Tuesday for a chance to be Chicago's next mayor. That includes Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was elected in 2019 and is seeking her second term. To win the office outright, a candidate needs to receive more than 50% of the vote. That's unlikely with such a large field, so the race is expected to go to an April 4 runoff between the top two vote-getters. The election is officially nonpartisan and is not considered or called a primary, though all the candidates seeking to lead the city, a Democratic stronghold, call themselves Democrats.

• The candidates: In addition to Lightfoot, the candidates are US Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, former schools CEO Paul Vallas, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, businessman Willie Wilson, state Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner, activist Ja'Mal Green, and City Council members Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer.
• Big issues: Public safety has been the dominant issue in the race. Violent crime increased in Chicago, as it did in many places, during the pandemic, with the city recording 797 homicides in 2021, according to the Chicago Police Department. That was the highest number in a quarter century. And while homicides have since decreased, and Chicago's per capita number is lower than other Midwestern cities such as St. Louis, crimes such as robberies and carjackings are still up and incidents are happening in places where they didn't before, such as downtown. Voters also are concerned with the increased cost of living, including property taxes, as well as affordable housing, jobs, and education.
• Vulnerable mayor: Lightfoot was elected four years ago as an outsider who would curb corruption at City Hall, at a time when some elected officials were under investigation and cleaning up city government was top of mind for voters. But once in office, Lightfoot's tenure was consumed by other challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over police violence, rising crime, a Chicago Teachers Union strike, and disputes with the police union over a vaccine mandate for officers. Separate of law-and-order issues, Lightfoot has been criticized for a temperament some say is too divisive. And some progressives are angry that she didn't follow through on campaign promises, such as creating civilian oversight of police early in her administration.

(More Chicago stories.)