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Lori Lightfoot
Lori Lightfoot was the Mayor of Chicago in Illinois. She assumed office on May 20, 2019. She left office on May 15, 2023.
Lightfoot ran for re-election for Mayor of Chicago in Illinois. She lost in the general election on February 28, 2023.
Mayoral elections in Chicago are nonpartisan. Media outlets reported that Lightfoot is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[1][2]
Biography
Lightfoot received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Lightfoot worked as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and as a senior partner with Mayer Brow.[3]
Career
The following is an abbreviated list of positions Lightfoot held prior to becoming mayor in 2019.[3]
- 2015-2018: President of the Chicago Police Board (appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel)
- 2016: Co-chair of the Police Accountability Task Force (appointed by Emanuel)
- 2005-2018: Senior equity partner in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group at Mayer Brown LLP
- 2005: First deputy of the Chicago Department of Procurement Services (appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley)
- 2004-2005: Chief of staff and general counsel of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (appointed by Richard M. Daley)
- 2002-2004: Chief administrator of the Office of Professional Standards, Chicago Police Department (appointed by Richard M. Daley)
- 1996-2002: Assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
Elections
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2023)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Brandon Johnson defeated Paul Vallas in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 4, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 52.2 | 319,481 |
 | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 47.8 | 293,033 | |
| Total votes: 612,514 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 28, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 32.9 | 185,743 |
| ✔ | | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 122,093 |
 | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 16.8 | 94,890 | |
 | Jesus Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 13.7 | 77,222 | |
 | Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 51,567 | |
 | Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan) | 2.2 | 12,257 | |
 | Kambium Buckner (Nonpartisan) | 2.0 | 11,092 | |
 | Sophia King (Nonpartisan) | 1.3 | 7,191 | |
 | Roderick Sawyer (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,440 | |
 | Johnny Logalbo (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 15 | |
| Keith Judge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 5 | ||
| Stephen Hodge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | ||
| Ryan Friedman (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 3 | ||
 | Stephanie Ann Mustari (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | |
| Bridgett Palmer (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 564,524 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Montelle Gaji (Nonpartisan)
- Raymond Lopez (Nonpartisan)
- Frederick Collins (Nonpartisan)
2019
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 2, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 73.7 | 386,039 |
 | Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 26.3 | 137,765 | |
| Total votes: 523,804 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 26, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 17.5 | 97,667 |
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 16.0 | 89,343 |
 | Bill Daley (Nonpartisan) | 14.8 | 82,294 | |
| Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 10.6 | 59,072 | |
 | Susana Mendoza (Nonpartisan) | 9.0 | 50,373 | |
 | Amara Enyia (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 44,589 | |
 | Jerry Joyce (Nonpartisan) | 7.2 | 40,099 | |
 | Gery Chico (Nonpartisan) | 6.2 | 34,521 | |
| Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 5.4 | 30,236 | |
 | Garry McCarthy (Nonpartisan) | 2.7 | 14,784 | |
 | La Shawn Ford (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 5,606 | |
 | Bob Fioretti (Nonpartisan) | 0.8 | 4,302 | |
 | John Kozlar (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,349 | |
 | Neal Sáles-Griffin (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 1,523 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 86 | ||
| Total votes: 556,844 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Catherine Brown D'Tycoon (Nonpartisan)
- Dorothy Brown (Nonpartisan)
- Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan)
- Conrien Hykes Clark (Nonpartisan)
- Sandra Mallory (Nonpartisan)
- Richard Mayers (Nonpartisan)
- Roger Washington (Nonpartisan)
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lori Lightfoot did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Chicago 2019 Candidate Survey
Lori Lightfoot did not complete Ballotpedia's Chicago candidates survey for 2019.
Campaign website
The following themes were found on Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website.
| “ |
Investing in neighborhood schools Lori believes every child should be able to get a quality education at their neighborhood public school, no matter their race or zip code. Lori was a public school kid and remembers how her school served as a community anchor and a source of pride for her neighborhood. By closing more than 50 neighborhood schools without meaningful community engagement, this administration has done great harm to our city. As mayor, Lori will:
Read Lori’s comprehensive plan to transform public schools here Stopping violence It is imperative that we stop the epidemic of violence in our communities. No child should have to worry about the consequences of going to the park and no parent should have to keep their kids inside on a warm day for fear of violence. As mayor, Lori will:
Read Lori’s comprehensive plan for public safety here Expanding affordable housing options Lori believes that everyone deserves a safe, clean, and affordable place to live and is committed to finding ways to keep families in their neighborhoods amidst gentrification. As someone who grew up in a low-income family and knows how it feels to worry about making rent, Lori is deeply troubled that families like the one she grew up in can’t afford to live in this city anymore. As mayor, Lori will:
Read Lori’s comprehensive housing plan here Reforming the police department Lori won’t need on the job training to address issues of public safety. She has extensive experience as a former federal prosecutor, a leader in investigating police misconduct including police-involved shootings, and more recently as president of the Police Board and chair of the Police Accountability Task Force. Lori’s work is the underpinning of the Obama-era Department of Justice report and the consent decree, which will be the basis for police reform and accountability. As mayor, Lori will
Read Lori’s comprehensive plan for public safety here Cleaning up City government Lori is running for mayor to build a Chicago that works for every person and every community. For years, Chicago government has catered to the wealthy few and politically connected while ignoring everyone else. Lori will build a transparent and responsive City government Chicagoans can trust to serve their needs. As mayor, Lori will:
Read about Lori’s plans to clean up City government here Supporting small businesses Small businesses are critical job creators and economic engines, but all too often we sacrifice their needs as we cater to big corporations. In her leadership role in City procurement, Lori held the City and companies accountable to promises to hire women and minorities and made sure that when the City contracted with small businesses, they paid for these services on time. As mayor, Lori will:
Investing in our neighborhoods All over Chicago, people feel the effects of an “us versus them” style of governance. Investing here and not there; providing advantages to some but not others; listening to a few but ignoring far too many. We can and we must invest downtown while also providing resources to our neighborhoods. In addition to supporting public schools, addressing violence, and supporting small businesses, as mayor Lori will:
Read about Lori’s plans to improve TIF financing here Creating good jobs We’ve got to create good-paying jobs all over the city and make sure that people in need of work have the training and resources they need. Growing up, Lori’s parents worked multiple low-wage jobs to make ends meet, so Lori knows the importance of these policies to working families. As mayor, Lori will:
Supporting LGBTQ+ Chicagoans As an out and proud black lesbian, Lori understands the importance of safeguarding the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and recognizes that while significant progress has been made, more important work must be done. Challenges are especially acute for youth, members of the trans community, and LGBTQ+ people of color. As mayor, Lori will:
Read Lori’s LGBTQ+ policy framework here Defending immigrants Chicago must be a city where every person from every background has security and opportunity. We’ve got to stand up to the Trump administration’s racist, anti-immigrant terror and make sure that every Chicagoan is safe, regardless of citizenship status. As mayor, Lori will:
Read about Lori’s plans to decommission the gang database here Legalizing cannabis The war on drugs has disproportionately targeted people of color, tearing apart Chicago families and burdening taxpayers with costs of prosecuting these low-level offenses. As mayor, Lori will:
|
” |
| —Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website[5] | ||
Noteworthy events
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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Lightfoot announced on January 11, 2022, that she tested positive for COVID-19. She said she was vaccinated at the time she contracted the virus.[6]
Events and activity following the death of George Floyd
Lightfoot was mayor of Chicago during the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, when events and activity took place in cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Events in Chicago, Illinois, began on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, with a demonstration outside Chicago Public Safety Headquarters organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger.[7] On May 30, Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) issued a 9:00 P.M. - 6:00 A.M. curfew, saying, "What started out as peaceful protest has now devolved into criminal conduct."[8] The curfew began on the night of May 30 with no specified end date.[8] On May 31, Lightfoot requested that Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) deploy the Illinois National Guard to Chicago. Later that day, 375 members were activated in the city.[9]
| To read more about the death of George Floyd and subsequent events, click [show] to the right. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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On June 2, Lightfoot announced directives she gave to police Superintendent David Brown to implement within 90 days, including involving community members in police officer training at the academy, providing officers with youth-led tours of Chicago neighborhoods, implementing an officer wellness program, and crisis intervention training for all officers.[15]
COVID-19 reopening
On May 8, 2020, Lightfoot announced a five-phase reopening plan for Chicago amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan outlined a phased reopening of businesses and resumption of activities, individual and social guidance, and public health criteria based on which the city would move into subsequent phases.[16]
Chicago's reopening criteria differed from the criteria in Gov. J.B. Pritzker's (D) statewide plan, and Chicago's reopening proceeded through phases more slowly than the rest of the state.[17] On May 13, Lightfoot said, "The more stable our public health is the more stable and sustained our reopening will be. None of us want to see us taking steps back. Reopening could lead to re-closing if we are not patient, smart and diligent."[18]
Teacher strike
On October 17, 2019, around 25,000 public school teachers in Chicago went on strike.[19] The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) reached a tentative deal with the Chicago Public Schools district (CPS) and Lightfoot on October 31. On November 1, classes resumed. CTU members voted to approve the new contract on November 14-15.[20][21][22]
The deal between CTU and CPS included 16 percent pay raises over five years, a full-time nurse and social worker in every school by 2023, funding to reduce class sizes once they hit specified caps, and full-time liaisons in high-need schools to coordinate services for students in temporary living situations.[23][24]
CTU also wanted 11 makeup days. Lightfoot agreed to five. She said, "Enough is enough. And so in the spirit of compromise, we agreed. It was a hard-fought discussion. It took us a long time to get there, but I think this is the right thing."[25]
CTU had called for a 15 percent teacher pay raise over three years, increased staffing at schools to national recommended ratios, caps to reduce class sizes, and housing measures including subsidies for staff, among other commitments in their contract.[26][27][28]
CPS' counterproposal to CTU as of October 24 included a 16 percent teacher and support staff pay raise over five years, doubling the number of school nurses and social workers, funding for reducing class sizes, and full-time liaisons in high-need schools to coordinate services for students in temporary living situations.[29] Lightfoot said, "This is by any estimation an incredible offer. ... Despite all of this, the CTU has not accepted it. We are enormously disappointed that CTU simply cannot take yes for an answer."[30]
See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "Lori Lightfoot elected as Chicago’s first black female mayor," April 2, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, "Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s Incoming Mayor, Ran on Outsider Appeal," April 3, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lori Lightfoot's 2023 campaign website, "About Lori Lightfoot," accessed February 21, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tests positive for COVID-19; CPS CEO so far negative after appearance with mayor," January 12, 2022
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 CBS Chicago, "Protest Held In Chicago After Death Of George Floyd During Arrest By Minneapolis Police," May 26, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 CBS Chicago, "Mayor Lightfoot Announces Curfew From 9 p.m. To 6 a.m. ‘Until Further Notice’ Amid George Floyd Protests," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "How the weekend unfolded: Timeline of Chicago protests, looting and unrest," June 1, 2020
- ↑ Washington Post, "The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody," May 31, 2020
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 USA Today, "Medical examiner and family-commissioned autopsy agree: George Floyd's death was a homicide," June 1, 2020
- ↑ Associated Press, "Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death," April 20, 2021
- ↑ CNN, "Protests across America after George Floyd's death," accessed June 2, 2020
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Lightfoot Issues Directives to Chicago Police for Reforms to be Implemented Within 90 Days," June 2, 2020
- ↑ City of Chicago, "Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Announce Framework for Reopening Chicago Amid Covid-19," May 8, 2020
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Much of Illinois is On Track to Enter Phase 3 at End of May, But What About Chicago?" updated May 19, 2020
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "How Close is Chicago to Phase 3 of Reopening? Here’s a Look," May 14, 2020
- ↑ The Washington Post, "In Chicago, 25,000 teachers on strike and 300,000 children out of the classroom," October 17, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Teachers Union, "We return to schools tomorrow. Five makeup days this year," October 31, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Teachers Union, "Critical Next Steps In Our Contract Fight," November 4, 2019
- ↑ Associated Press, "Chicago Teachers Union approves Chicago Public Schools contract deal that ended strike," November 16, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Here are the highlights of CPS-CTU deal — does it fall short on special ed?" October 31, 2019
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Chicago Public Schools To Make Up 5 Days Lost To Teachers’ Strike; CTU To End Strike," October 31, 2019
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "CPS To Make Up 5 Days Lost To Teachers’ Strike; School Resumes Friday," October 31, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Teachers Union, "The Contract Chicago Deserves," accessed October 18, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Chicago teachers strike enters second day as Jesse Jackson steps in to try to help forge a deal," October 18, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Chicago Teachers Union strike updates: CPS teachers continue strike as sides remain far apart on contract," October 18, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Public Schools, "An Offer that Honors our Teachers’ Hard Work and Dedication," October 29, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces deal with SEIU but says standoff continues with Chicago Teachers Union; classes remain canceled Monday," October 27, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rahm Emanuel |
Mayor of Chicago 2019-2023 |
Succeeded by Brandon Johnson |
| |||||||||
