Chicago mayoral election will hold a mayoral election Tuesday. However, it will likely take several weeks and a runoff election before a winner can be declared. Here’s a look at what’s going on:
Chicago mayoral election
On Tuesday, nine candidates will compete for the chance to become Chicago mayoral election next mayor. This includes Lori Lightfoot (who was elected in 2019) and is running for her second term.
A candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes to win the office. This is unlikely considering the field is so large. The race will be decided by a runoff between the top vote-getters on April 4.
Officially, the election is nonpartisan. It is not considered or called primary. However, all candidates for the leadership of the city, which is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, are Democrats.
Who’s running?
Lightfoot is not the only candidate. Also, there are U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, ex-schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. Willie Wilson, Kambium Buckner, Ja’Mal Green, Roderick Sawyer and state Rep. Kambium Buckner.
Are there any runoffs that have been held in the past?
The nonpartisan municipal elections were established in Chicago in 1999. However, a mayoral race was not necessary until 2015. Because Mayor Richard Daley won reelection in 1999 and 2003 with more than 70% of the vote, that’s why there wasn’t a mayoral runoff until 2015.
Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel was able to avoid a runoff in the 2011 mayoral election after Daley decided not to run for re-election. After failing to win a majority of the vote in February’s election, he was forced to enter the city’s first mayoral race in 2015. Garcia was defeated by Emanuel.
Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle (Cook County Board Chair), in a runoff that took place in 2019. Lightfoot won the contest easily.
What are the most pressing issues in Chicago mayoral election ?
in Chicago mayoral election, The main issue for the race has been public safety. As it did elsewhere, violent crime rose in Chicago during the pandemic. According to the Chicago Police Department, the city recorded 797 homicides by 2021. This was the highest number of homicides in over a quarter century.
While homicides in Chicago mayoral election have declined and Chicago’s per-capita number is lower than St. Louis and other Midwestern cities, crimes like robberies, carjackings, and other incidents still occur, including downtown.
Voters are also concerned about the rising cost of living. This includes property taxes and affordable housing.
What makes Lightfoot so vulnerable?
Four years ago, Lightfoot was elected as an outsider to curb corruption at City Hall. This was at a time in which some elected officials were being investigated and the focus of voters was on cleaning up the city’s government. Lightfoot’s tenure as an office holder was dominated by other issues: the COVID-19 pandemic and protests over police violence, rising crimes, and disputes with the Chicago Teachers Union over a mandate for vaccines.
Although the number of homicides has declined since the pandemic it is still much higher than the year before Lightfoot was elected. She claims that the city has a strategy for reducing crime, and it is working. Her rivals claim that she isn’t doing enough, and that she should fire her hand-selected superintendent of police.
Lightfoot’s temperament has been criticised for being too divisive, and she is not separated from law-and-order matters. Some progressives are furious that Lightfoot didn’t fulfill campaign promises to create civilian oversight of the police force early in her administration.
Lightfoot was originally a progressive candidate for office and is now “trying to thread the needle that’s middle”, with Vallas receiving support from more conservative voters, and other candidates competing for votes who are more to their left. Constance Mixon, an Elmhurst University professor who has spent her entire life in Chicago, stated that Vallas is getting support from voters who are more conservative than others.
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