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Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2019)

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2019 Chicago elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: November 26, 2018
General election: February 26, 2019
Runoff election: April 2, 2019
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor, City Council, City Clerk, & City Treasurer
Total seats up: 53 (click here for other city elections)
Election type: Nonpartisan
Chicago mayoral election
Runoff election overview
General election overview
Major issues
Candidates' key messages
Timeline of events
History of the office
Other Chicago elections
Chicago City Council
Chicago City Clerk & Treasurer
City elections in Chicago
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2019

Former Chicago Police Board President Lori Lightfoot defeated Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle in the April 2, 2019, runoff election for mayor of Chicago, Illinois. They were the top two vote-getters among 14 candidates in the general election on Feb. 26.

The 2019 race was Chicago's fourth open mayoral race in 100 years. Incumbent Rahm Emanuel, first elected in 2011, announced in September 2018 he would not run for a third term as mayor of the nation's third-largest city.[1]

Lightfoot became Chicago's first female African-American mayor and first openly gay mayor.[2]

Both Lightfoot and Preckwinkle described themselves as the progressive in the race and called each other's progressive credentials into question based on their political and professional histories.

Lightfoot presented herself as the reform candidate in the race who was independent of corrupt machine-style politics. She noted her background as a senior equity partner for Mayer Brown and her past roles in city government, saying she had requisite experience managing teams and budgets. Lightfoot referred to Preckwinkle as a party boss due to her roles as Cook County Democratic Party chair and former party committeewoman.

Preckwinkle highlighted her experience as an alderman and Cook County Board of Commissioners president, saying she had the experience to run the city and a progressive record. She contrasted her experience in elected office with Lightfoot's previous appointments to positions by mayors, saying the latter connected Lightfoot to the political elite. Preckwinkle also described Lightfoot as a wealthy corporate lawyer.

A number of issues shaped the mayoral race, including the city's pension system shortfalls, crime rates, policies around K-12 school performance and under-enrollment, economic and racial divisions, policing, affordable housing, and government ethics.

This page covered the runoff election. Click here for coverage of the Feb. 26 general election. On this page, you will find:

In addition to voting for mayor, residents of the city voted for a city clerk, city treasurer, and all 50 seats on the city council on February 26, 2019. Click here for more information on those races.

Click here to see if candidates in this race responded to Ballotpedia's Chicago 2019 survey.

Chicago voter? Dates you need to know.
Candidate Filing DeadlineNovember 26, 2018
Runoff Registration DeadlineApril 2, 2019
Absentee Application DeadlineMarch 28, 2019, at 5 p.m.
Early Voting DeadlineApril 1, 2019
General ElectionFebruary 26, 2019
Runoff ElectionApril 2, 2019
Voting information
Polling place hours6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.


Candidates and election results

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
✔
Image of Lori Lightfoot
Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan)
 
73.7
 
386,039
Image of Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan)
 
26.3
 
137,765

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 523,804
Candidate Connection = 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
✔
Image of Lori Lightfoot
Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan)
 
17.5
 
97,667
✔
Image of Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan)
 
16.0
 
89,343
Image of Bill Daley
Bill Daley (Nonpartisan)
 
14.8
 
82,294
Image of Willie Wilson
Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan)
 
10.6
 
59,072
Image of Susana Mendoza
Susana Mendoza (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
9.0
 
50,373
Image of Amara Enyia
Amara Enyia (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
8.0
 
44,589
Image of Jerry Joyce
Jerry Joyce (Nonpartisan)
 
7.2
 
40,099
Image of Gery Chico
Gery Chico (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
6.2
 
34,521
Image of Paul Vallas
Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan)
 
5.4
 
30,236
Image of Garry McCarthy
Garry McCarthy (Nonpartisan)
 
2.7
 
14,784
Image of La Shawn Ford
La Shawn Ford (Nonpartisan)
 
1.0
 
5,606
Image of Bob Fioretti
Bob Fioretti (Nonpartisan)
 
0.8
 
4,302
Image of John Kozlar
John Kozlar (Nonpartisan)
 
0.4
 
2,349
Image of Neal Sáles-Griffin
Neal Sáles-Griffin (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
1,523
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
86

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 556,844
Candidate Connection = 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

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages
Lori Lightfoot
Lori Light.jpeg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: President, Chicago Police Board (2015-2018); Co-chair, Police Accountability Task Force (2016); First deputy, Chicago Department of Procurement Services (2005); Chief of staff, Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (2004-2005); Chief administrator, Office of Professional Standards, Chicago Police Department (2002-2004)

Biography: Lightfoot received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. She worked as a senior equity partner in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group at Mayer Brown LLP from 2005 to 2018 and as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1996 to 2002.

Key messages
  • Lightfoot said she was the independent reform candidate in the race and was not "tied to the broken political machine."[3]
  • Lightfoot said that Preckwinkle was connected to Ald. Ed Burke, who was charged with attempted extortion in January 2019. Lightfoot has also criticized Preckwinkle for her roles as Democratic committeewoman and Cook County Democratic Party chair, describing her as a party boss.[3][4]
  • Lightfoot referred to her experience in city government as equipping her to run the city, saying she has managed budgets and employees. She also emphasized her experience managing teams in her legal profession.[5][6]
  • Lightfoot emphasizes quality neighborhood schools, public safety, the city's affordability for working families, and ending aldermanic privilege as priorities.[7][8][9]
Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Preckwinkle.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: Cook County Board of Commissioners president (Assumed office: 2010); 4th Ward alderman (1991-2010)

Biography: Preckwinkle received a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Chicago. She taught high school history for 10 years. Preckwinkle worked as a planner in the Chicago Department of Economic Development from 1985 to 1988. As an alderman, Preckwinkle co-founded the Chicago City Council Progressive Caucus. She served as Democratic committeewoman for the 4th Ward from 1992 to 2018, and in 2018, she became chair of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Key messages
  • Preckwinkle said she was "the most progressive candidate in this race."[3]
  • Preckwinkle criticized Lightfoot for having taken appointments from Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel, saying this connected Lightfoot to the power elite.[3] She also described Lightfoot as a wealthy corporate lawyer and criticized her record as a lawyer.[4][10]
  • Preckwinkle referred to her record on the Cook County board and as alderman, saying she expanded access to healthcare, worked on criminal justice reforms, and supported affordable housing and living wage ordinances.[11][12]
  • Preckwinkle highlighted quality neighborhood schools, public safety, a $15 minimum wage, and banning outside employment for aldermen as priorities.[13][9]

Campaign finance

Analysis

The following were the largest contributors to each campaign, according to funds reported as of April 2, 2019.

  • Preckwinkle's largest contributor was the SEIU Illinois Council PAC Fund, which had donated $2,041,000.00 through March 29, 2019. Her second-largest contributor was Service Employees Local #1 PEC, which donated $829,091.18 through March 22.[14]
  • Liuna Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC was Lightfoot's largest contributor, having donated $500,000.00 on March 20. Lightfoot was her own second-largest contributor; she donated and loaned a total of $316,532.95 to her campaign.[15]

The following were the largest expenditures made by each campaign:

  • Preckwinkle spent $3.1 million on broadcast, cable, and radio advertising through Canal Partners Media.[14]
  • Lightfoot spent $2.7 million on media through Sage Media Planning and Placement.[15]

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[16][17][18]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • United Working Families spent $3,000 on a digital ad campaign opposing Lightfoot, Politico reported on March 29.[19] The group is affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union and the Service Employees International Union, which endorsed Preckwinkle.[20]

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Endorsements

If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Runoff election (endorsements made after Feb. 26, 2019)

Endorsements
Endorsement Lightfoot Preckwinkle
Elected officials
U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.)[21] ✔
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D)[22] ✔
State Rep. Ann M. Williams (D)[23] ✔
Ald. Matthew O'Shea, 19th Ward (backed Jerry Joyce in general election)[24] ✔
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward)[25] ✔
Illinois Comptroller/former 2019 mayoral candidate Susana Mendoza[26] ✔
Ald. Deb Mell (33rd Ward)[27] ✔
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) (backed Willie Wilson in general election)[28] ✔
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (D)[29] ✔
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th Ward)[29] ✔
Newspapers and editorials
Chicago Tribune editorial board (backed Bill Daley in general election)[30] ✔
Crain's Chicago Business editorial board (backed Daley in general election)[31] ✔
Chicago Crusader (backed Daley in general election)[32] ✔
Chicago Defender[33] ✔
Individuals
Former 2019 mayoral candidate Willie Wilson[34] ✔
Former 2019 mayoral candidate Paul Vallas[35] ✔
Former 2019 mayoral candidate Gery Chico[36] ✔
Former 2019 mayoral candidate Jerry Joyce[21] ✔
Former 2019 mayoral candidate Ja'Mal Green[37] ✔
Former 2019 mayoral candidate John Kozlar[38] ✔
Former Ill. State Senator Miguel del Valle (D)[39] ✔
Gloria Steinem[40] ✔
Former Cook County Board of Commissioners Pres. Todd Stroger[41] ✔
Howard Tullman, executive director of Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship[22] ✔
Chance the Rapper, local activist and rapper (backed Amara Enyia in general election)[42] ✔
Unions
Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2[43] ✔
Plumbers Union Local 130 (backed Bill Daley in general election)[44] ✔
Laborers' International Union of North America Chicago (backed Susana Mendoza in general election)[45] ✔
Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 241 and 308[46] ✔
Gas Workers Local 18007[46] ✔
Iron Workers District Council and Local 1[46] ✔
City College Contingent Labor Organizing Committee[46] ✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 9[46] ✔
Sprinkler Fitters Local 281[46] ✔
Teamsters Local 705[46] ✔
United Steelworkers of America Local 9777[46] ✔
National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11[46] ✔
UNITE HERE Local 1[47] ✔
Painters District Council No. 14[48] ✔
Teamsters Joint Council 25[49] ✔
Illinois Federation of Teachers[50] ✔
Teamsters Local 700[51] ✔
Organizations
Latino Leadership Council[52] ✔
Our Revolution Chicago[53] ✔
Human Rights Campaign[54] ✔
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce[23] ✔
Personal PAC[48] ✔
Asian American Midwest Progressives[55] ✔
Italian American Political Coalition[56] ✔

General election (endorsements made before Feb. 26, 2019)

Endorsements
Endorsement Lightfoot Preckwinkle
Elected officials
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.)[57] ✔
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward)[58] ✔
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D)[59] ✔
State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D)[60] ✔
State Rep. Marcus Evans (D)[61] ✔
State Rep. Delia Ramirez (D)[61] ✔
State Rep. Lamont Robinson Jr. (D)[61] ✔
State Sen. Robert Peters (D) ✔
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D)[62] ✔
1st District Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson[61] ✔
4th District Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore[61] ✔
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward)[60] ✔
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th Ward)[62] ✔
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita[61] ✔
Newspapers and editorials
Chicago Sun-Times editorial board[63] ✔
Gazette Chicago[64] ✔
Individuals
Former Ald. Dick Simpson (44th Ward)[65] ✔
Former Cook County Clerk David Orr[66] ✔
Former aide to Mayor Rahm Emanuel Ken Bennett[67] ✔
Former White House senior adviser under Obama (D) Valerie Jarrett[68] ✔
Former White House aide/Time's Up movement leader Tina Tchen[69] ✔
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards[69] ✔
Former Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis[70] ✔
Unions
Illinois Education Association Region 67[71] ✔
Chicago Teachers Union[72] ✔
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1[73] ✔
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 881[74] ✔
SEIU Healthcare Illinois[75] ✔
SEIU Local 73[75] ✔
National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter[76] ✔
Organizations
Victory Fund[77] ✔
LPAC[78] ✔
Equality Illinois PAC[79] ✔
Indivisible IL9[80] ✔
Indo-American Democratic Organization[81] ✔


Candidate survey

Candidate Connection Logo.png

Ballotpedia invited all 2019 municipal candidates in Chicago to participate in our candidate survey, created through our partnership with the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Interactivity Foundation, and City Bureau, as well as insights from more than one hundred diverse citizens living throughout Chicago’s wards.

Click here to view the survey.


Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Lori Lightfoot

Support

"El Poder del Pueblo" - Lightfoot campaign ad, released March 24, 2019
"Moment" - Lightfoot campaign ad, released March 22, 2019
"Focus" - Lightfoot campaign ad, released March 18, 2019
"Change" - Lightfoot campaign ad, released February 28, 2019


Oppose

"#StopLightfoot Action" - United Working Families ad, released March 28, 2019
"#StopLightfoot Train Takeover" - United Working Families ad, released March 28, 2019
"Troubling" - Preckwinkle campaign ad, released March 27, 2019
"Big Game" - Preckwinkle campaign ad, released March 1, 2019

Toni Preckwinkle

Support

"Working Families Support Toni" - Preckwinkle campaign ad, released March 26, 2019

Oppose

"WHY" - Lightfoot campaign ad, released March 6, 2019

Campaign themes

Lightfoot

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:

  • Work to bring a safe Level 1/1+ elementary and high school to every neighborhood
  • Expand high school apprenticeship programs and pathways to good jobs
  • Create an elected and representative school board to give parents and community members a voice in how our school system is run

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:

  • Address gun violence as a public health crisis by looking at the root causes
  • Invest in community resources including violence prevention programs, schools, jobs, and community-based mental health centers
  • Lead a proactive strategy with Federal, State, County, and City officials to get illegal guns off our streets

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:

  • Build, preserve, and renovate homes that are affordable and reduce red tape that creates obstacles to building housing for families
  • Support the Affordable Housing Equity Ordinance to limit aldermanic prerogative, which impedes the growth of housing that is affordable city wide and perpetuates segregation
  • Expand the scope of services for people who are homeless or living with housing instability
  • Create more pathways to homeownership for low-income and middle-class families

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

  • Ensure full and swift compliance with the consent decree
  • Implement civilian oversight of the police
  • Improve training and accountability
  • Reduce police misconduct and resulting costs of settlements, judgments, and fees
  • Increase the homicide clearance rate

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:

  • Implement mayoral term limits
  • Stop elected officials from profiting from their government positions
  • Strengthen oversight of the workers’ compensation program and hold budget town halls

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:

  • Lower the barriers to accessing capital so that entrepreneurs with solid business plans have opportunities to thrive
  • Support entrepreneurs by creating business incubators on South and West sides
  • Make sure women-owned and minority-owned businesses are well-represented in City contracting
  • Ensure City vendors speak our values when it comes to supplier diversity

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:

  • Reinvigorate neighborhood commercial districts that have been left behind
  • Partner with businesses and nonprofits to eliminate food, pharmacy, and healthcare deserts
  • Bring transparency to TIF financing to make sure funds go toward neighborhoods most in need of investment

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:

  • Expand job training programs with wrap-around services and create direct pipelines to jobs that pay living wages
  • Work with businesses large and small to create jobs in every neighborhood and expand apprenticeship programs in schools
  • Raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour

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:

  • Guarantee participation in City government, including appointing mayoral LGBTQ+ liaisons to work with South, West, and North side communities
  • Bolster safety and justice for the trans community by holding the police to high standards, improving police training, and properly investigating hate crimes
  • Address the needs of Chicago’s diverse LGBTQ+ community, from creating 24-hour youth drop-in centers to expanding housing options for seniors and veterans

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:

  • Strengthen the Welcoming City Ordinance by eliminating carve-outs that jeopardize the safety of immigrants in the city
  • Support abolishing ICE and make clear to ICE and the US Attorney’s Office that ICE cannot recklessly terrorize our residents
  • Decomission CPD’s “gang database,” impose strict guidelines for operating and maintaining any replacement database, and ensure that CPD no longer cooperates with or shares any data with ICE

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:

  • Support legalization and taxation of cannabis
  • Learn from the best practices of states that have legalized cannabis to make sure it is safe and well-regulated
  • Make sure that people of color can get licenses to sell cannabis and open up dispensaries in their communities
  • Put safeguards in place to keep cannabis away from children[82]
 ”
—Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website[83]

Preckwinkle

The following themes were found on Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website.

“

EDUCATION

I believe the greatest investment we can make is in our young people. Before I was an alderman, I was a history teacher in Chicago Public Schools and now my grandchildren are Chicago Public School students. We need to know that all of our city’s children are receiving the best education available, to make sure that what’s possible for some of our children, is the reality for all of our children.

Read more

PUBLIC SAFETY

During my time as Cook County President, we reduced the unnecessary and costly detention of non-violent offenders by more than 30 percent. I have been an outspoken in calling for accountability in the Chicago Police Department and a vocal advocate for juvenile justice reform; reducing the number of children tried as adults and the population in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.

Read more

$15 MINIMUM WAGE

A $15 minimum wage brings a family of four just above the poverty line. The fact that the minimum wage is below $15 is an atrocity. I am proposing an extension of the city’s minimum wage law to get us to a $15 minimum wage no later than July 2021.

Read more

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

I believe clean water is a human right. It is intolerable that there are still 385,000 lead water service lines to homes. I have a plan to immediately put in place a program to inventory all lead service lines, disclose their location to residents, create a replacement schedule, and bundle replacements geographically for cost efficiencies and to minimize further displacement of lead into drinking water.

Read more

LGBTQ

The time is long overdue for Chicago to show dignity and respect for transgender lives. When Toni is mayor, she will work with Cook Co. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and the proposed Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to prioritize investigating the many unsolved murders of transgender women of color and designate the cases as suspected hate crimes. She’s also committed to reforming the Chicago Police Department’s policy on interactions and detainment of transgender individuals, in line with proposals by the ACLU, the Transformative Justice Law Project, and many others. In addition, Toni will require that there is transgender representation on the city’s Civilian Office and Police Accountability board.

Read more

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

One of the biggest challenges facing the next mayor of Chicago is addressing the severe racial economic inequality in the city. To do this, the next mayor must focus significantly more attention and resources on the communities that have suffered from decades of disinvestment. Toni believes one of our first responsibility as government is to ensure that there is equitable public investment in public education, public safety, health care, transportation infrastructure, and housing in our communities. Our other responsibility, when necessary, is to intervene when private markets have failed due to misinformation and frankly, discrimination.

Read more[82]

”
—Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website[84]

Major issues and candidate positions

Ballotpedia identified the following as major issues in the race based on candidate forums and statements, media reports, and events surrounding the election. Below, you will find overviews of each issue and a collection of candidate statements from campaign websites and questionnaires. To suggest other major issues for coverage, email editor@ballotpedia.org.

In this section:

Pensions

Lightfoot

Constitutional amendment
  • "People spend their whole working lives figuring out what their magic number is, when they’re going to be able to retire, and we can’t pull the rug out from under them."[97]
Pension obligation bonds
  • "Mayor Emanuel has proposed a $10 billion pension obligation bond to solve the pension crisis. I do not support this plan for several reasons. First, the proposed plan will increase the city’s outstanding debt by approximately 50% and will constrain the city’s ability to borrow in the future. Second, despite Mayor Emanuel’s assertions, there is no guarantee the pension funds’ actual rates of return will exceed the city’s borrowing costs. In an effort to sell this plan, Mayor Emanuel and his staff have focused on the spread between the bond’s anticipated interest rate, which they claim would be roughly 6%, and the four funds’ actuarial rates of return, which average 7.25%. An actuarial rate of return is not the same thing as an actual rate of return. Between 2008 and 2017, the city’s four pension funds had an average annual rate of return of 6.4%, or 85 basis points below their average actuarial rate of return. While the 6.4% return exceeds the city’s claimed interest rate for the bond, the Civic Federation notes that the last taxable general obligation bond the city issued in 2017 had an interest rate of 7.045%. Third, Mayor Emanuel and his administration have not been transparent about the proposal’s details, and they have not shown a willingness to hold public hearings about the proposed plan. No one should support this plan until it has been fully and honestly been presented to the public."[98]
Additional statements
“

Pensions are a promise. I grew up in a union household, and, in the old steel town we lived in, lots of workers lost their pensions.

I’ve seen firsthand how working families plan their lives around these promises, and I’ll protect these promises as mayor. The next mayor’s first budget will have to find approximately $277 million in additional monies to fund the city’s four pension funds.

In order to build the public case for additional revenue, the city must demonstrate to taxpayers that it takes seriously its obligation as a responsible fiscal steward of the public’s hard-earned tax dollars. The next mayor must look into reforms that can result in meaningful cost-savings without breaking our contractual obligations to workers.

The city also needs to engage in TIF reform. There are numerous other areas in the city’s budget where my administration can and will look to save money, and we will look hard at other redundant or unnecessary expenses, but the reality is the city will need new revenue sources to address the pension crisis.

In doing so, we will not balance the City budget on the backs of low-income and working class families, nor will we adopt measures that drive business out of Chicago.[99][82]

”

Preckwinkle

Constitutional amendment
  • "I do not think the state Constitution should be amended to allow any reductions to promised pension benefits for current city workers or retirees. We owe it to our workers and retirees to fully fund our pension system. Relying on the state to help us with our pension crisis is a gamble we can not afford to take. We have to find creative ways to generate progressive and long term revenue to help fund our pension obligations."[100]
Pension obligation bonds
  • "At this time, I am not in favor of issuing bonds to pay pension costs. We need to first pursue more sustainable and less risky revenue sources that do not mortgage the city’s future earnings against a volatile equity market. In the event of an economic downturn, a pension obligation bond could put the city’s fiscal position in severe jeopardy. Therefore other options should be pursued prior to the POB."[98]
Additional statements
“

City workers have held up their end of the bargain by paying into the pension system throughout their careers and we must seek opportunities to ensure they can have the secure retirement that they have earned.

The next mayor must renew Chicago’s commitment to city workers and retirees by finding the revenue to meet our obligations instead of constantly seeking remedies in the form of increased employee contributions and COLA freezes. In addition, as mayor I will do everything in my power to fiercely oppose any attempt by the state to reduce current or future city retiree benefits.

To solve our pension debt problem we must enact constitutionally permissible reforms that save money on the repayment of the debt, and access revenue in order to front-load that repayment. I will seek legislation that will permit Chicago pension funds to offer discounted benefit buyouts to tier 1 employees, as was enacted by the state last year.

I would also seek to ensure that a portion of revenue raised by the adoption of progressive rates be diverted through the Local Government Distributive Fund, to all municipalities to be utilized for pension debt stabilization. Additionally, I will work with Springfield to pass legalization of recreational marijuana and gaming expansion with all revenues dedicated to pension debt stabilization.[99][82]

”

Ethics reform

Lightfoot and Preckwinkle disagree on the following three areas of ethics reform:

Chicago mayor ethics compare.png

Lightfoot

Lightfoot proposed a nine-point plan entitled Cleaning Up City Government, including: two-term limit for mayor; limiting outside employment for city officials; shifting responsibility for the workers' compensation program from the council finance committee to the executive branch; centralizing the Office of Inspector General; complying with the Freedom of Information Act; increasing transparency in the tax increment financing program; merging the Chicago and Cook County boards of election; requiring separate counsel for the legislative and executive branches; and holding public town hall meetings during the budget season. Read the full plan here.

Additional statements:

  • "I support imposing a two term limit on mayor. And as set forth in my People First Pledge, I support limiting an alderman to serving two terms as chairperson of a city council committee."
  • "I support moving the city’s workers’ compensation program from city council to the executive branch and giving the inspector general authority to investigate and oversee the program. I also support limiting aldermen to serving two terms as chairman of any committee and curbing the aldermanic prerogative."
  • "I support fixing Rule 14 to ensure that if an alderman has a conflict of interest, he or she immediately disclose the conflict, and on the record, and immediately recuse him or herself from any city council proceedings related to the conflict."[98]
  • Lightfoot said she supports a three-term limit for aldermen.[102]
  • "If you go back in our sad history of aldermen who have been prosecuted, every single one of those prosecutions relates to aldermanic prerogative, (also called) aldermanic privilege. It is a corrosive and corrupting influence."[103]

Preckwinkle

  • "I do not believe that term limits should be imposed by law, as voters are given the opportunity to choose their elected officials with each election."
  • "Voters elect their aldermen with the trust that they will make informed decisions for their ward and constituents. For this reason, I do not believe the practice of “aldermanic privilege” should end. However, in light of the charges against Alderman Burke, I have proposed a ban on dual employment in City Council. It’s clear that there are too many conflicts of interest posed from dual employment, so this policy should instill a greater sense of transparency and accountability to taxpayers. I also would support a limit on the number of recusals committee chairpersons are allowed for votes in their committees. Given the influence that chairpersons wield in steering debate, they should not be engaged in activities that give them vested interest in matters under their committee’s jurisdiction."
  • "Government best serves the people when it is transparent and accessible. I will make sure the Mayor’s Office is transparent in its processes and that there is adequate community input. As Cook County Board President, my office follows strict adherence to the Freedom of Information Act policies, digitally streams all meetings for public viewing and opened up the budget process to be more transparent and engaged with residents. County employees are also barred from donating to my Mayoral campaign. We should always be striving more greater transparency and accountability in government. However, in my 28 years as a public servant, I have found that there are many good people in government and local government can have meaningful positive impacts in the lives of residents."[98]

School closings

Lightfoot

  • WBEZ asked candidates if they supported:

1. Closing low-performing schools; 2. Closing schools more than 50 percent under-enrolled; 3. Opening new schools/constructing new buildings in years when enrollment has declined. The following is the candidate's extended answer:

“

1. Closing a school for “chronic low-performance” says that we have failed. It means we have failed to help children learn, failed to save a community anchor, and in recent cases has meant we failed to provide black and brown children with the good quality, stable educational environment they deserve. A Lightfoot administration will engage in a respectful partnership with parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to support and maintain clean, safe, quality public schools for every student in every neighborhood. In this collaborative environment, a closure would be the very last resort after all other options have been exhausted and after a transparent and engaged dialogue with all stakeholders. I would never agree to such a hard and fast rule that does not allow for nuance or community input to help turn a school around or give our kids the best quality public education in their neighborhood.

2. As with the first question, I would not commit to a rule that does not allow for community engagement in these critical decisions. Of course, our children should learn in an environment where they can enjoy a full range of educational experiences and resources. Those objectives become challenging to meet where there is material under-enrollment. However, our first reaction should not be to close those schools, which places the burden of failed economic development and disinvestment on our students and often on black and brown students in particular. Instead, we must increase enrollment by addressing the root causes of flight and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to turn our schools around.

3. As with the first two questions, I would make critical decisions about our schools collaboratively with stakeholders. Every student in every neighborhood deserves a safe, clean, quality school nearby; however, this is not the case in every neighborhood right now. I would work with parents, students, teachers, and other stakeholders to make this vision for a more equitable CPS a reality.[111][82]

”
  • Lightfoot also responded to the following question from WBEZ: "On what to do about severely underenrolled schools, such as 26 high schools with fewer than 250 students?"
“

Closure should be the absolute last resort, after a process of engagement with people who are stakeholders around that particular school. Nobody benefits from a school that is severely under-enrolled. We are not going to have enough programming. The offerings for the students are going to be diminished as compared to other fully populated schools. But we have to be much more transparent about the demographics and the trends and engage the parents and the teachers and other stakeholders around that school and what the future looks like. We have to come up with a process in which we think creatively about how to further enrich that school. Now, if at the end of the day the population continues to dwindle, then that is a problem we have to reckon with.[112][82]

”

Preckwinkle

  • WBEZ asked candidates if they supported:

1. Closing low-performing schools; 2. Closing schools more than 50 percent under-enrolled; 3. Opening new schools/constructing new buildings in years when enrollment has declined. The following is the candidate's extended answer:

“

1. No. The schools labeled as "chronically low-performing" are in the same neighborhoods on the South and West sides subject to massive disinvestment, over-policing, the destruction of affordable housing, and Great Depression-era unemployment. The answer, then, isn't to take even more from the same folks. Instead, my first steps as mayor will be investing in schools so they have the things they deserve based on the elements of the state's new evidence-based funding formula: additional social workers, nurses and school counselors; lower class sizes; early childhood education; and the resources and supports for a broad and rich curriculum. And I will address the structural issues that impact what happens in schools: build additional affordable housing, expand job opportunities for people outside of downtown, and criminal justice changes that make it possible for people to make it on the outside.

2. No. Rahm's school closures were an abject failure, as a recent University of Chicago report made clear. The school closures unnecessarily harmed students and destroyed community centers, and demonstrated a key problem with policy by formula - if the formula elements change, the outcomes change, too. Those same so-called underenrolled schools under CPS' numbers would be optimally used if we made tweaks to the formula, such as lowering class sizes, especially in the early grades, and expanding the sustainable community schools model to provide additional wraparound supports for students, healthcare access, and adult education opportunities. The problem with school closures is the austerity they forced on only some residents in Chicago. To be clear, the decline in students in CPS is almost entirely attributed to the decline in Black students. Their families were pushed out of the city by unaffordable housing, a lack of jobs, and regressive fines and fees. And in the past year, that pushout spread to Latino families, as those same factors and the Trump Justice Department's immigration enforcement forced untenable choices on greater numbers of people. The city's school enrollment and population are linked. Closing schools doesn't fix either.

3. Yes. We can't foreclose the need to build new schools to replace ones that are in need of replacing. But I do commit to few important ideas. First, I dramatically favor investing capital in existing schools to make sure that they have what they need: engaging learning environments, technology infrastructure, appropriate climate controls so students aren't sweltering or freezing, and health and safety repairs that ensure our children don't get lead poisoning or mold poisoning at school. Second, we need a freeze on new charter schools, which only made the enrollment issues worse as more schools served fewer students, thereby forcing a hunger games scenario on children and families. Third, the new schools over the last ten years have been predominantly built for selective enrollment students who are disproportionately white and higher income. That's an inequity that must end. Test scores should not determine the facility you learn in. Finally, I commit to having a capital plan that is an actual plan rather than a series of political favors to be doled out. School repairs should be allocated on basis of need, not based on access.[111][82]

”
  • Preckwinkle also responded to the following question from WBEZ: "On what to do about severely underenrolled schools, such as 26 high schools with fewer than 250 students?"
“

You have to look at it on a case-by-case basis. What is the reason for the decline in enrollment? ... Are there possibilities of enhancing enrollment through additional programming or changing school boundaries? There are a variety of options that you might pursue. Schools are neighborhood anchors, in addition to being educational institutions, and we should be very, very cautious about closing them. I am in favor of a moratorium on school closing and a moratorium on charter schools. That doesn't mean we would never close schools. I am in favor of a moratorium now because the school district, prior to five years ago when it closed 50 schools in one year, was closing 10 to 12 schools a year and able to manage that. But what they did in that one year, closing 50 schools, they clearly were not able to manage very well. I think your reporters have said 38 of those 50 schools are still vacant.[112][82]

”

School board selection method

Lightfoot

  • "My mother was an elected school board member, so I understand the importance of giving parents and stakeholders a real voice in how our children are educated. That is why I support a fully independent, elected school board. I am currently evaluating proposals for electing a school board, including whether candidates should first be required to serve on a Local School Council (LSC)."[122]

Preckwinkle

  • "Feeling valued goes hand in hand with being heard. Currently, Chicago Public Schools has the only appointed school board in Illinois. That means that the Chicago Board of Education answers only to the Mayor and has no direct accountability to the communities, students, and educators it is supposed to serve. Toni supports an elected school board for Chicago Public Schools to make sure that every family in Chicago has a voice in the direction and future of their child’s education."[123]

Affordable housing

Deep Dish - March 21 - Affordable Housing.png

Lightfoot

Requirements for developers

WBEZ asked: "Will you force developers of new projects to build affordable housing units in gentrifying communities where long-time residents are being displaced?" Lightfoot answered with the following:

"Yes. As set forth in my housing plan, I support amending the Affordable Requirements Ordinance to increase the number of affordable units built, including requiring affordable units to be built within market rate developments, and shrinking the radius where affordable units can be built so developers are forced to build affordable units in gentrifying neighborhoods. I also support limiting an alderman's ability to keep affordable housing from being built in his or her ward."[135]

Click to read Lightfoot's Plan to Create Affordable Housing and Prevent Homelessness.

Rent control

"I don’t think rent control is the issue we need to be focused on right now. We have a huge affordable-housing crisis in the city. In two-thirds of the city, not a single affordable unit has been built."[136]

Preckwinkle

Requirements for developers

WBEZ asked: "Will you force developers of new projects to build affordable housing units in gentrifying communities where long-time residents are being displaced?" The candidate answered with the following:

"Yes. Families who have occupied their homes and neighborhoods for generations find themselves pushed out due to gentrification and rising costs of living. It is important that there are affordable housing options in gentrifying areas to ensure that longtime residents can stay in the communities they've called home long before the demographic change."[135]

Preckwinkle said in a Crain's Chicago Business questionnaire, "With ARO, I support increasing the set aside to 20% and possibly creating a rebate system to developers if they actually create affordable housing or community assets instead of just paying the fee."[98]

Rent control

"I support lifting the city’s ban on rent control. When considering city legislation to establish a rent control, I believe this power should be given back to local municipalities so they can decide how rent control would best work for them. This decision should not be implemented solely from the power of the Mayor’s office, but should be an engaging process between activists, elected officials and all stakeholders."[136]

Crime

Lighfoot

Lightfoot released a six-part public safety plan. The following are excerpts. Read the full plan here.

“

1. Addressing Violence as a Public Health Crisis
First, in order to tackle the violence, we must address it as a public health crisis. Framing the challenges in this way will compel the City to address the root causes of the violence and meet those challenges head on with a toolkit that extends beyond law enforcement. ...

2. New Mayor’s Office for Public Safety
To ensure that the city has a comprehensive public health approach to addressing violence and overall public safety, I will create a Mayor’s Office of Public Safety (“MOPS”), a first of its kind in Chicago. ...

3. The Role of Law Enforcement to Address Illegal Guns and Violence
... We must solve the illegal gun problem if we are going to reduce the crime and violence that plague the city. And we will do that through a proactive, coordinated response led by federal law enforcement officials, strengthening state and federal gun laws, creating a centralized department within CPD responsible for tracking illegal guns throughout the city, and strategically deploying police cameras in neighborhoods. ...

4. Rebuild Community Relations and Reform Police Practices
If Chicago is to succeed, then CPD must succeed. And for far too long, and despite the efforts of the vast number of current and former officers who are dedicated public servants committed to lawful policing, CPD has not succeeded at bridging the gap between it and the communities it serves. ...

5. Other Efforts to Address Violence and Help Ex-Offenders Reintegrate into Society
We cannot rely exclusively on “hard powers,” like arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment, to reduce crime and violence. This “hard” power only strategy has not worked and it has led to the mass incarceration of minorities. As a result, the city and its partners must also use “soft powers” to address the root causes of violence. ...

6. Develop Relevant Educational Programming for CPS Students
...[A]s mayor I will ask Chicago Public Schools to begin developing a K-12 curriculum that teaches children about the dangers of guns and gun violence, and how they can work within their communities to end violence and the scourge of illegal guns. The curriculum will also include sections devoted to conflict resolution, social justice and identifying and treating trauma associated with guns and violence.[82]

”

Preckwinkle

Preckwinkle released a "Building a Safer Chicago" agenda with 15 steps. To see the full agenda, click here.

She summarized the agenda in the following way:

“

There is no greater responsibility for any government than ensuring the safety of its constituents. For far too long, for far too many, the City of Chicago has failed to meet this basic need. As an educator and elected official, I’ve known and mourned too many lives cut short by the devastating violence that plagues our city. As a mother and grandmother, Toni empathizes deeply with the toll and trauma this violence has imposed on generations of families, many of whom have lost multiple loved ones to violence. There is no pain worse than that of a parent forced to bury a child.

Though none of our city’s communities have been immune, it is no secret that violence has been concentrated in roughly 15 communities, almost exclusively on the south and west side; the same communities struggling with high unemployment, under-resourced or closed schools, and overall lack of investment. And while the CountyCare program Toni helped create as Cook County Board President has brought unprecedented behavioral and physical health care into our communities, we still face deficits due to years of neglect. The violence, combined with these underlying factors, has contributed to a growing exodus of families from these communities, removing critical economic and social resources, and making the devastating cycle of disinvestment and decline worse.

Even in the city’s more affluent neighborhoods, other types of violent crime, such as armed robbery, assault, and vehicular hijacking, have undermined many resident’s sense of personal safety. If elected, nothing will be more important to my administration than ending fear and restoring safety to all of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

My approach to public safety will enhance racial justice and equity. Contrary to what some argue, these goals actually work together. When we over-incarcerate for nonviolent offenses, we destabilize communities, increasing the likelihood for criminality and violence. That’s why as Cook County Board President, Toni worked with criminal justice stakeholders to reform the practice of keeping people behind bars waiting for trial for minor, non-violent offenses. Those reforms reduced the County jail population by thousands without negatively impacting public safety.

Toni will build upon this work as mayor by focusing on three areas.

First, Toni will take direct ownership of various aspects of the city’s criminal justice and public safety efforts through the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, which will ensure a holistic and collaborative approach to public safety throughout the city.

Secondly, Toni will work with community stakeholders and the Chicago Police Department to restore trust and accountability between city’s police and the people of Chicago. This means enforcing the consent decree, implementing a system of civilian oversight, and integrating community in every aspect of CPD’s operations, from training to crime prevention.

Thirdly, Toni will ensure that Chicago Police Department strives to become the most effective police department in the country, by improving training, supervision, promotion, collaboration and crime-solving capacity within the department and demanding real improvement in homicide clearance and overall crime reduction.

All of these efforts must work in tandem with robust investment in our public schools, our neighborhoods, and our access to mental health services. Our bold agenda on these fronts will be just as critical, if not more so, to the security of our city as the reforms we make to policing. Therefore, as mayor Toni will see to it that our investments in these key areas match with their value to the public safety of all Chicagoans.[82]

”

Police consent decree

Lightfoot

“

The consent decree proposed by the parties has yet to be approved by the federal court. I support a police consent decree because given CPD’s history, it is the only tool currently available to make the systemic reforms necessary, in a responsible time frame, in an environment of review and accountability. However, I have been clear that the draft prepared by the parties needs substantive changes and I have shared the changes that I believe are needed with the parties, and the federal court and they can be found on the campaign website, Lightfootforchicago.com.

I am the only candidate in this race that has a broad depth of experience in dealing with issues related to police excess force and abuse, accountability and reform. My perspective on these issues stems from my roles as a federal prosecutor and the head of the former Office of Professional Standards, in which I made countless recommendations to terminate police officers who failed to properly perform their duties, including in police-involved shootings. More recently, I led the Police Accountability Task Force (PATF), whose report served as the underpinnings for both the Obama DOJ report and recommendations on the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the consent decree. There would be no consent decree without the PATF. I also served as the president of Chicago Police Board, where I held officers accountable for misconduct. Before resigning from the police board to run for mayor, I significantly increased the number of officers that were terminated for serious misconduct or received lengthy suspensions.

My body of work demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that public safety is available to everyone and in every neighborhood, that officers must be held accountable for misconduct and that taxpayers cannot continue to shoulder the burden of unchecked misconduct manifested in settlements, judgments, and attorneys’ fees currently totaling over $500 million in the last seven years.[122][82]

”

Preckwinkle

“

The consent decree is much needed and long overdue. It is essential to the difficult, but necessary, work of rebuilding the relationship between police and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve.

A lack of accountability and an inability to develop strong relationships in Chicago’s communities are leading factors in CPD being one of the least effective large police forces in the United States in solving and preventing homicides and shootings. In 2017, CPD identified a suspect in only 17% of homicides and 5% of shootings. This is far lower than the national averages. Restoring trust between officers and communities will help improve these numbers, because more officers will develop relationships that yield the information that helps solve crimes.

The consent decree will also lead to better supervision and more appropriate, consistent training, both of which are necessary to create effective, constitutional policing at the CPD.

As Mayor, I will make sure that the Chicago Police Department fully complies with the mandates of the consent decree. However, police reform will require more than the consent decree. True and sustainable public safety requires a multi-faceted and coordinated approach. The Chicago Police Department must work closely with other local and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as other city departments, social service organizations and public health officials.[100][82]

”

Tax increment financing (TIF)

Lightfoot

“

Chicago must bring real transparency to all aspects of tax increment financing (“TIF”), an economic development tool that diverts more than $650 million in property taxes annually.

When I am mayor, the city will not create new TIF districts until we have fully analyzed the performance of existing districts to ensure that they are meeting their intended objectives and that private recipients of TIF funds are satisfying their contractual obligations. The city will set performance thresholds for each TIF district, and each district will be reviewed at least every five years to determine whether those thresholds are being met. If they are not being met, then the city will, after soliciting public input, determine whether to close a district, revise its objectives or make other changes. In addition, the city will impose penalties on private recipients of TIF funds that do not meet their contractual obligations.

Before any new TIF is created, the city must strengthen the standards for determining whether a district qualifies for TIF. The city will no longer loosely apply the test for determining whether an area is “blighted,” and it will raise the bar for clearing the “but for” test, which requires one to show that private projects and investment would not happen without TIF investment. Only then will the city consider creating new TIF districts that meet these more rigorous standards.

For any new TIF district, the city will clearly describe the justifications for creating the TIF, and it will do so in publicly available documents and in town hall meetings in the proposed district where citizens can provide input. In addition, the city will closely monitor private developers to ensure they are meeting their obligations under redevelopment agreements, including those related to job creation and minority and women business enterprise requirements. If a private developer fails to meet its obligations, the city will enforce penalty provisions contained in the redevelopment agreement, including clawing back TIF funds.

I will address additional TIF-related reforms as the campaign progresses.[150][82]

”

Preckwinkle

  • The Chicago Sun-Times wrote:
“

Preckwinkle wants the annual TIF surplus earmarked exclusively for CPS, instead of giving city government a cut of that money. That would continue until all 144 TIFs are abolished, if she is elected mayor.

“About a third of our property taxes go into TIF districts. We’ve really got to look at unwinding as many of those TIFs as we possibly can and turning the resources back to Chicago Public Schools,” she told the Sun-Times.[150][82]

”
  • "Presently, 31 percent of our property tax revenue goes into TIF districts,” Preckwinkle said. “Tax increment financing districts. This was supposed to be an economic development tool to kickstart struggling neighborhoods, and yet, most of the Loop is in one TIF District or another, and some of the most valuable property in our city is in a TIF district, so that doesn`t make sense."[159]

Debates and forums

March 29, 2019

WBEZ and the League of Women Voters hosted a debate. Among the topics discussed were race and policing. View WBEZ's coverage of the debate here.

March 27, 2019

CBS2 hosted a televised forum. Topics discussed included the city's murder clearance rate, whether to keep the Chicago Public Schools leadership in place, and Chicago police contracts and leadership.

Click here to view a video and coverage of the event.

March 26, 2019

Lightfoot and Preckwinkle participated in a televised forum sponsored by FOX32 and The Lincoln Forum. The candidates discussed violence in the city, police issues, racial gaps in educational achievement, taxes, and more.

View a video of the event here.

March 25, 2019

On March 25, the candidates participated in a televised debate and in interviews with Crain's Chicago Business. The publication endorsed Bill Daley in the general election on Feb. 26.

WGN hosted a mayoral debate. Candidates discussed several issues, including taxes, pension payments, crime, and policing. Candidates also responded to various criticisms each campaign has launched against the other.

View a video of the event here.

Coverage: Chicago Sun-Times

Crain's Chicago Business held separate interviews with Lightfoot and Preckwinkle.

  • View Lightfoot's interview video here.
  • View Preckwinkle's interview video here.

March 21, 2019

WTTW hosted a televised candidate forum. Lightfoot and Preckwinkle discussed their backgrounds and defended themselves against criticisms from one another, in addition to discussing crime, policing, economic development, and other policy issues.

Click here to view a video of the event.

Coverage:

March 20, 2019

ABC Chicago hosted a televised forum. The candidates discussed a range of issues, including pensions, city employee contracts, policing, and education. They also discussed their backgrounds and criticized each other's. During the forum, the candidates each asked the other a question: Preckwinkle asked Lightfoot about her experience working with budgets, and Lightfoot asked Preckwinkle what it would mean to her to be the first female African-American mayor.

Click here for a video of the event.

Coverage:

March 19, 2019

Preckwinkle and Lightfoot participated in a candidate forum at Malcolm X High School. Topics discussed included policing and education.

Coverage:
Chicago Sun-Times

March 13, 2019

Two forums were held on March 13.

Lightfoot and Preckwinkle spoke during the last 20 minutes of a community forum hosted by the Chicago Sun-Times and AARP. The candidates discussed their backgrounds, economic opportunity in the South and West sides, and community-police relations.

Click here for videos of the event.


The University of Chicago hosted a mayoral forum focused on public safety. Lightfoot and Preckwinkle appeared separately for about 45 minutes each.

Click here to view a video of the event.

Coverage: CBS Chicago

March 12, 2019

The Chicago Tribune editorial board hosted a forum as part of its endorsement process. (The Tribune endorsed Bill Daley ahead of the Feb. 26 general election.)

Click here to view a video of the forum.

Analysis

Many of the board's questions concerned economic growth and the city's finances—specifically, its pension shortfalls and debt.

Asked about encouraging economic growth in Chicago:

Both candidates agreed efforts should be focused both on the city's downtown area and in neighborhoods on the South and West sides they say have been neglected. Both also said the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund should be a full grant program as opposed to requiring upfront money from small businesses that would like to apply.

Lightfoot said the city should give some of its contracts to small businesses, provide opportunities for women-owned and minority-owned businesses, and increase access to credit, loans, and other support for small businesses.

Preckwinkle highlighted her plan to implement a $15 minimum wage in Chicago by 2021, saying this would bring a diverse and talented workforce to the city. She also said the city should triple its investment in microloans for small businesses.

Regarding pension shortfalls and debt:

Lightfoot said the city must first cut spending. She referred to the amount the city spends on settlements and attorney fees related to police misconduct and asked whether the city needs separate city clerk and treasurer offices. Lightfoot said consolidating administrative and investment functions among the four city pension funds could also save money. She also said the city needs a risk manager.

Lightfoot said she supports new revenue streams such as a Chicago casino, a marijuana tax, and a progressive income tax, but that none of these changes would be implemented in time to address immediate budgetary issues. She said the mayor's direct revenue-raising options are a soda tax and property taxes. Lightfoot opposed a soda tax and said the property tax system was unfair to working families and needed to be fixed before those taxes could be raised again.

Preckwinkle emphasized her support for a progressive state income tax, saying the property tax system local governments rely on for revenue was inequitable. She also said the city should unwind downtown tax increment financing (TIF) districts to have access to more property tax revenue.

Preckwinkle said making government more efficient would save the city money. She said Chicago could rein in spending on its workers’ compensation program, which Preckwinkle said is five times greater than what the county spends on its workers’ comp. Preckwinkle said the city could reduce the money spent on settlements for police misconduct through better training and supervision but that this would not address the city's budget issues in time.

Experience

Preckwinkle referred to her experience working with budgets, saying that as Cook County board president, she closed a $487 million budget gap through a combination of cutting budgets, refinancing debt, and a difficult decision to lay off 1,500 people.

Lightfoot pointed to her experience as a senior equity partner at Mayer Brown, saying she advised CEOs and C-Suite personnel. She said this gave her an understanding of what businesses want.

Ethics reform

Lightfoot frequently mentioned her opposition to aldermanic privilege—aldermen's power over zoning, licensing, and permitting in their wards—which was an area of ethics reform on which the candidates disagreed.

Preckwinkle mentioned her proposal to ban outside employment for aldermen. Lightfoot supported limiting outside employment as opposed to banning it outright.

March 7, 2019

NBC 5 hosted a candidate forum with Lightfoot and Preckwinkle. Candidates criticized each other's backgrounds and discussed topics including education, city employee contracts, policing, and city finances.

Click here for to view videos of the event.

Analysis

The first televised forum of the mayoral runoff saw the candidates echoing the charges they had made in early runoff campaign ads.

"I think it’s interesting and frankly disappointing that Toni Preckwinkle and her people would try to criticize me for being successful," Lightfoot said. Preckwinkle's campaign began airing an ad March 1 criticizing Lightfoot's former position as senior equity partner of the law firm Mayer Brown.

Lightfoot said, "I’m not a person who decided that I would climb the ladder of...the corrupt political party," referring to Preckwinkle's roles as Democratic committeewoman and chair of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Preckwinkle said Lightfoot worked for a firm that "defends Big Tobacco, that defends Big Pharma, that defends environmental polluters. She herself was one of the attorneys that defended Merrill Lynch against discrimination suits by African-American folks."

Preckwinkle said she's worked for more than 20 years to make the Democratic Party more diverse and inclusive.

Later in the forum, Lightfoot and Preckwinkle were given time to respond to specific criticisms each candidate made in early runoff opposition ads.

Preckwinkle discussed Lightfoot's criticism about her administration hiring Ald. Ed Burke's son, Edward Burke Jr., as a training and exercise manager for the Cook County Homeland Security and Emergency Emergency.[160] Preckwinkle said Edward Burke Jr. was a county employee for 20 years and "his resume was sent to the Department of Homeland Security and they hired him." She added, "As I go around the city, what people are really concerned about is their own neighborhood."

Lightfoot responded to Preckwinkle's criticism of her work on the Merrill Lynch suit, saying she secured a comfortable settlement for plaintiffs in the racial discrimination suit and that the lead plaintiff from that case supported her bid for mayor.

Preckwinkle and Lightfoot also answered a host of policy questions—from an elected school board to addressing homelessness, to teacher and city employee contract negotiations.


For a list of candidate forums that were held prior to the Feb. 26, 2019, general election, click here.

Timeline

  • March 29, 2019: WBEZ and the League of Women Voters hosted a forum.
  • March 27, 2019: CBS2 hosted a televised forum.
  • March 26, 2019: Lightfoot and Preckwinkle participated in a televised forum sponsored by FOX32 and The Lincoln Forum.
  • March 25, 2019: WGN TV hosted a televised forum.
  • March 25, 2019: Crain's Chicago Business conducted interviews with each candidate.
  • March 20-21, 2019: ABC Chicago and WTTW hosted televised forums.
  • March 20, 2019: A poll found Lightfoot leading Preckwinkle 47 percent to 14 percent, with 29 percent undecided. See more here.
  • March 12, 2019: The Chicago Tribune editorial board hosted a forum as part of its endorsement process.
  • March 7, 2019: NBC 5 hosted a televised forum between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle.
  • March 1, 2019: Lightfoot and Preckwinkle aired their first TV ads of the runoff.

Noteworthy events

Argument over whether Sposato, Napolitano endorsed Lightfoot

At the first televised forum of the runoff on March 7, Preckwinkle responded to a question about Chicago's immigration policy with the following:

"Well, I think it’s interesting to note that [Lightfoot] accepted today the endorsement from Ald. [Nicholas] Sposato and Ald. [Anthony] Napolitano, both of whom are Trump supporters, and both of whom voted against giving legal aid to immigrants in the city of Chicago — to having a legal-aid program for the city of Chicago. Sposato and Napolitano are both Trump supporters. And actually, Sposato left the Progressive Caucus because Chicago is a welcoming city."

Lightfoot responded that Preckwinkle was lying, and Preckwinkle said Lightfoot was disrespectful. Lightfoot then said, "There was no endorsement today. Nick Sposato and Napolitano showed up when I was endorsed by the firefighter’s union, which I welcomed that endorsement. They are apparently both members of that. But if you check our records and our values, I've been highly critical of both of those aldermen."

The aldermen stood with other union members and Lightfoot holding Lightfoot campaign signs as she accepted the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 endorsement at a press conference on March 7.[161][162]

Mayoral partisanship

Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.

In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.

Click here to learn more.

Election history

In 1995, the city switched from holding plurality-winner primary and general elections for citywide offices to holding general elections that require a candidate to receive more than 50 percent of the vote to win without a runoff.[163]

2015

In 2015, Chicago saw its first mayoral runoff election. From a general election candidate field of five, Emanuel and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia advanced to a runoff, where Emanuel won by 12 percentage points.

Key issues in the 2015 mayoral race included the closing of 50 schools during Emanuel's first term, whether the school board of Chicago Public Schools should be elected or remain appointed by the mayor, and the city's downgraded debt rating. In February 2015, the bond-rating service Moody's downgraded Chicago to Baa2, a mid-to-low level rating that sits two positions up from what financial analysts call “junk,” a status that indicates high risks for bondholders. Moody's cited unfunded pension obligations as the main reason for the downgrade.

Election results

Mayor of Chicago, Runoff Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRahm Emanuel Incumbent 56.2% 332,171
Jesus "Chuy" Garcia 43.8% 258,562
Total Votes 590,733
Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official runoff election results," accessed July 9, 2015

Mayor of Chicago, General Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRahm Emanuel Incumbent 45.6% 218,217
Green check mark transparent.pngJesus "Chuy" Garcia 33.5% 160,414
Willie Wilson 10.7% 50,960
Robert W. "Bob" Fioretti 7.4% 35,363
William "Dock" Walls, III 2.8% 13,250
Total Votes 478,204
Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official general election results," accessed July 9, 2015

2011

The mayoral seat was open in 2011 as longtime incumbent Richard M. Daley did not seek re-election. Major issues in the election included how to approach the city's $655 million budget deficit and the city's growing unfunded pension obligation. Candidates debated how to reduce the cost of city services and raise revenues.[164][165][166]

Mayor of Chicago, General Election, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRahm Emanuel 55.3% 326,331
Gery Chico 23.9% 141,228
Miguel Del Valle 9.3% 54,689
Carol Moseley Braun 9% 53,062
Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins 1.6% 9,704
Dock Walls 0.9% 5,343
Total Votes 585,014
Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official general election results," accessed July 9, 2015

2007

Mayor of Chicago, General Election, 2007
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRichard M. Daley Incumbent 71% 324,519
Dorothy Brown 20.1% 91,878
William "Dock" Walls, III 8.8% 40,368
Total Votes 456,765
Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Election results," accessed December 7, 2018


Click here to see election results going back to 1975.

History of the office

See our page on the history of Chicago's mayoral office for a deep historical dive.

Evolution of the office

Chicago's municipal charter of 1837 established the office of mayor as an elected office with one-year terms. In 1863, the term was extended to two years, then to four years in 1907.[167]

The mayor's powers have grown over time, with significant expansions occurring within the first decades of the office's existence. ... Click here to learn more about how mayoral powers expanded over time.

Prominence of the Democratic Party

For the first 90 years during which Chicago had a mayor, voters elected mayors from a variety of parties; Democrats, Republicans, Whigs and more all held the city's top position. That changed after 1927, the year Chicagoans elected their last non-Democratic mayor for at least 90 years.[168] The first in a long line of consecutive Democratic mayors was Anton Cermak, elected in 1931. Political observers and historians give at least partial credit to Cermak for what they refer to as "the machine"—the Democratic Party organization in Chicago and Cook County more broadly that lasted into the late 1970s or early 1980s.[169][170] "The ascendancy of the Democratic Party was not secured until Anton Cermak built a broad coalition of ethnic and working-class voters that secured his election," according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago.[171] By 1890, when the census first found Chicago to be the nation's second-largest city, immigrants and the children of immigrants made up three-quarters of its population.[172] Cermak was a Czech immigrant.

After Cermak's death in 1933, Cook County Democratic Central Committee chairman Patrick Nash appointed his replacement: Edward Kelly, who served as mayor until 1947. During Kelly's tenure, the city's growing black population increasingly voted Democratic. Kelly was a proponent of desegregated schools and housing. He worked with Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) to secure New Deal funding for Chicago.[173][174] ... Click here to continue reading.

National significance

Chicago was the nation's second-largest city from 1890 to 1982.[175] Its population peaked at 3.6 million in the 1950 census.[176] As of 2017, Chicago was the third-largest city in the U.S. (population of 2.7 million) behind New York City (8.6 million) and Los Angeles (4 million).[177]

Due to the city's size and the strength of its Democratic Party organization, Chicago and its mayors have exerted influence beyond city boundaries. The following is a sampling of ways in which Chicago and its mayors have demonstrated national political significance throughout history:

  • Through 2016, Chicago hosted more major-party conventions than any other U.S. city. It hosted 25 total—11 Democratic National Conventions and 14 Republican National Conventions between 1860 and 1996.[178] Philadelphia hosted nine total through 2016, and Baltimore hosted 10 (the last one being in 1912).[179]
  • Anton Cermak, elected mayor in 1931, was an influential campaigner for Franklin D. Roosevelt in Cook County, which FDR won along with the 1932 presidential election overall. Cermak met with FDR in Miami ahead of the inauguration to discuss Roosevelt's appointments and New Deal funding for Chicago. Cermak was shot in a failed assassination attempt on FDR and died weeks later.[180][181]
  • In 1960, Mayor Richard J. Daley campaigned for John F. Kennedy (D) during his presidential bid. Daley was also the chair of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee, which History.com referred to as "the strongest political organization in the country." Kennedy won Illinois' delegates at the party convention and the state's electoral votes in the general election.[182] In 1960, Illinois had 27 electoral votes—the fourth-highest share of any state.[183]

Click here to read more examples of the mayor's role on the national stage.

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Illinois elections, 2019

What's on your ballot?
Click here to find out using My Vote

About the city

See also: Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is a city in Illinois. It is the seat of Cook County and the center of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. As of 2020, its population was 2,746,388.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Chicago uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[184] The mayor and city council each serve four-year terms.

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Illinois
Population 2,746,388 12,812,508
Land area (sq mi) 227 55,512
Race and ethnicity**
White 39% 63.3%
Black/African American 28.4% 13.8%
Asian 7.1% 5.8%
Native American 0.9% 0.5%
Pacific Islander 0.5% 0.4%
Other (single race) 12.4% 7.3%
Multiple 12% 9.2%
Hispanic/Latino 29.6% 18.5%
Education
High school graduation rate 86.8% 90.3%
College graduation rate 43.3% 37.2%
Income
Median household income $75,134 $81,702
Persons below poverty level 16.8% 11.7%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


State profile

See also: Illinois and Illinois elections, 2019
USA Illinois location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

  • Democrats held six of 13 state executive offices. The Illinois Commerce Commission was composed of individuals with different affiliations. Elections for the other six offices were nonpartisan.
  • Illinois' governor was Democrat J.B. Pritzker.

State legislature

Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Illinois quick stats
  • Became a state in 1818
  • 21st state admitted to the United States
  • Illinois' population doubled every 10 years between 1820 and 1860,
    making it one of the fastest-growing places in the world at the time.[185]
  • Members of the Illinois State Senate: 59
  • Members of the Illinois House of Representatives: 118
  • U.S. senators: 2
  • U.S. representatives: 18
More Illinois coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Illinois
 IllinoisU.S.
Total population:12,839,047316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):55,5193,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:72.3%73.6%
Black/African American:14.3%12.6%
Asian:5%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:16.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:87.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:32.3%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$57,574$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.8%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

Chicago, Illinois Illinois Municipal government Other local coverage
Chicago city seal.png
Seal of Illinois.png
Municipal Government Final.png
Local Politics Image.jpg

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Officials hope early voting sites opening in all 50 wards will boost low numbers," February 11, 2019
  2. ↑ NBC News, "Lori Lightfoot elected Chicago mayor, will be 1st black woman and 1st openly gay person to hold post," April 2, 2019
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chicago Tribune, "Hours after historic election, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle each argue they're more progressive than the other," February 27, 2019
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 NBC Chicago, "Chicago Mayor Debate: Watch Full Forum With Lightfoot, Preckwinkle," March 7, 2019
  5. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Watch: NBC 5 Interview With Lori Lightfoot," March 6, 2019
  6. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "About Lori Lightfoot," March 8, 2019
  7. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Home," accessed March 8, 2019
  8. ↑ YouTube, "CHANGE," February 28, 2019
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chicago Tribune, "In Tribune meeting, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle clash over power of aldermen, City Hall corruption," March 12, 2019
  10. ↑ YouTube, "Big Game," March 1, 2019
  11. ↑ Facebook, "WGN TV: Mayoral Candidates meet with Tribune Editorial Board: Meeting 1 of 3 this week," January 15, 2019
  12. ↑ Facebook, "Fox 32 Chicago on February 7, 2019," accessed February 18, 2019
  13. ↑ Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed March 8, 2019
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Illinois Sunshine, "Toni for Chicago," accessed April 17, 2019
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Illinois Sunshine, "Lightfoot for Chicago," accessed April 17, 2019
  16. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  17. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  18. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  19. ↑ Politico Illinois Playbook, "‘Outrage’ in FOXX’s office — The PENSION DEBT elephant in the room — Meddling by ERVIN," Match 29, 2019
  20. ↑ CBS Chicago, "New Ad Targets Lightfoot For Failing To Discpline Cops While On Police Board," March 30, 2019
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Chicago Tribune, "U.S. Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, attorney Jerry Joyce Jr. back Lori Lightfoot in Chicago mayor’s race," March 18, 2019
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Politico, "Illinois Playbook: DEBATING dog-whistle politics — TULLMAN endorsing TONI — JUICE in the mayor’s race," March 11, 2019
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Politico Illinois Playbook, "TRUMP takes on SMOLLETT decision — PRO TEAMS all in for sports-betting — NIKKI HALEY hits Chicago," March 28, 2019
  24. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Lightfoot picks up crucial 19th Ward support: O’Shea dubs her ‘straight-shooter,'" March 15, 2019
  25. ↑ WGN TV, "Ahead of debate, mayoral candidates pick up endorsements – including Chance the Rapper," March 21, 2019
  26. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Comptroller Susana Mendoza backs former rival Lori Lightfoot in Chicago mayor's race," March 23, 2019
  27. ↑ Windy City Media Group, "Alderman Deb Mell endorses Lori Lightfoot in mayoral race," March 25, 2019
  28. ↑ [https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-preckwinkle-ads-fop-foxx-smollett-pelosi-20190319-story.html Chicago Tribune, "The Spin: Preckwinkle pulls TV ads | FOP asks feds to probe Foxx | Pelosi in Chicago," March 19, 2019
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Chicago Sun-Times, "White, Burnett help Preckwinkle make the case that she represents change," March 6, 2019
  30. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Editorial: Tribune Editorial Board endorsement for mayor of Chicago: Lori Lightfoot," March 15, 2019
  31. ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "Lightfoot is Chicago's best option now," March 27, 2019
  32. ↑ Chicago Crusader, "Endorsements for runoff elections," March 28, 2019
  33. ↑ ABC Chicago, "Chicago Mayor Race: Candidates Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle make final push for votes," April 1, 2019
  34. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Lori Lightfoot picks up endorsement from businessman Willie Wilson in mayor's race," March 8, 2019
  35. ↑ WGN Radio, "EXCLUSIVE: Paul Vallas Endorses Lori Lightfoot for Chicago Mayor," March 12, 2019
  36. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Lori Lightfoot picks up third endorsement from a former mayoral rival. This time it's Gery Chico," March 14, 2019
  37. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Community organizer Ja’Mal Green endorses Lori Lightfoot," March 22, 2019
  38. ↑ Facebook, "John Kozlar on March 19, 2019," accessed March 25, 2019
  39. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Miguel del Valle endorses Lori Lightfoot," March 26, 2019
  40. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Gloria Steinem endorses Lori Lightfoot," March 18, 2019
  41. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "The Spin: The Spin: Stroger endorses Preckwinkle | Mayor's race debate tonight | Relief for Metra commuters?" March 20, 2019
  42. ↑ ABC Chicago, "Chance the Rapper makes Toni Preckwinkle his second choice," March 21, 2019
  43. ↑ Politico, "Illinois Playbook: DEM ground game targets DAVIS — A murky ETHICS ordinance — SCHOCK shock," March 7, 2019
  44. ↑ CBS Chicago, "Plumbers Union Endorses Lightfoot, Almost By Default," March 12, 2019
  45. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Lightfoot picks up endorsements from laborers and another former rival," March 14, 2019
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 46.5 46.6 46.7 46.8 Chicago Tribune, "Lori Lightfoot targeted in homophobic flyers: 'Hate has no place in Chicago,'" March 18, 2019
  47. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – UNITE HERE Local 1 endorses Lori Lightfoot," Macrh 29, 2019
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 WGN TV, "Candidates pick up more endorsements as mayoral election only 3 weeks away," March 12, 2019
  49. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Toni Preckwinkle adds Teamsters Joint Council to list of union endorsements," March 14, 2019
  50. ↑ IFT endorses Toni Preckwinkle for Mayor of Chicago," March 19, 2019
  51. ↑ Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Mayoral Candidate Toni Preckwinkle Proud to Receive the Endorsement of 10,000 Public Employees of Teamsters Local 700," March 1, 2019
  52. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Toni Preckwinkle Picks Up New Endorsements in Chicago Mayoral Race," March 6, 2019
  53. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Lori Lightfoot gets endorsements from progressive group, 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea," March 15, 2019
  54. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Human Rights Campaign endorses Lori Lightfoot," March 25, 2019
  55. ↑ Facebook, "Asian American Midwest Progressives on March 18, 2019," accessed March 19, 2019
  56. ↑ We the Italians, "Italian Americans endorse Preckwinkle for Mayor of Chicago," March 21, 2019
  57. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Rep. Robin Kelly Endorses Lori Lightfoot for Chicago Mayor," February 21, 2019
  58. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Ald. Scott Waguespack endorses Lightfoot: Opportunity to set a new course," February 22, 2019
  59. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Rep. Schakowsky endorses Preckwinkle for mayor: The 'progressive in this race,'" November 15, 2018
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Chicago Tribune, "Morning Spin: Preckwinkle touts mayoral bid backing from two progressive Democrats," October 19, 2018
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 61.4 61.5 Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Testimonials," accessed March 17, 2019
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nbcendorse
  63. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "ENDORSEMENT: Lori Lightfoot for mayor — and a new Chicago Way," February 8, 2019
  64. ↑ Gazette Chicago, "Mayor hopefuls: A large field, but who has what it takes to fix a broken City?" February 1, 2019
  65. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "With Dick Simpson at her side, Lightfoot proposes ethics reforms," August 21, 2018
  66. ↑ ABC Chicago, "Lori Lighfoot picks up endorsements in week before Chicago mayoral election," February 20, 2019
  67. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Chance the Rapper Endorses Amara Enyia for Mayor of Chicago," "Chance the Rapper Endorses Amara Enyia for Mayor of Chicago," October 16, 2018
  68. ↑ Chicago Defender, "Toni Preckwinkle Announces Run for Mayor of Chicago," September 20, 2018
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 Politico Illinois Playbook, "Looking to WOMEN, LGBTQ for votes — SOLIS tapes name 4 aldermen — A MOVE on graduated income tax," February 4, 2019
  70. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Karen Lewis, former Chicago Teachers Union president, endorses Toni Preckwinkle on eve of Feb. 26 election," February 22, 2019
  71. ↑ Illinois Education Association, "Statement from IEA Region 67 on recommendation of Lori Lightfoot for Mayor of Chicago," February 13, 2019
  72. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Preckwinkle lands CTU endorsement; Mendoza counters with Huerta," December 5, 2018
  73. ↑ SEIU Local 1, "SEIU Local 1 Endorses Toni Preckwinkle for Mayor," September 20, 2018
  74. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Strait of the unions: No solidarity for labor in crowded mayoral race," February 20, 2019
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Chicago Tribune, "Toni Preckwinkle accepts endorsement from Chicago Teachers Union, 2 other major union affiliates," December 6, 2018
  76. ↑ NASWIL, "NASW-Illinois Chapter Endorsements for 2019 Chicago Municipal Election," February 6, 2019
  77. ↑ Victory Fund, "Our Candidates," acessed December 14, 2018
  78. ↑ Facebook, "LPAC on January 15, 2019," accessed January 16, 2019
  79. ↑ The Daily Line, "Trail reports — Endorsement roundup: CTU backs 10 more candidates; Equality Illinois taps Lightfoot," February 8, 2019
  80. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Press Release – Lightfoot receives Indivisible IL9 endorsement," January 25, 2019
  81. ↑ Politico, "Illinois Playbook: NEW POLL: Mayor’s race still wide open — Think Big has a big new ad — UAW endorses MENDOZA," February 25, 2019
  82. ↑ 82.00 82.01 82.02 82.03 82.04 82.05 82.06 82.07 82.08 82.09 82.10 82.11 82.12 82.13 82.14 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  83. ↑ Lori Lightfoot's 2019 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2019
  84. ↑ Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2019
  85. ↑ 85.0 85.1 85.2 85.3 City of Chicago, "Annual Financial Analysis 2018," accessed December 11, 2018
  86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 City of Chicago, "Annual Financial Analysis 2017: The City's Pension Funds," accessed December 13, 2018
  87. ↑ Wilshire Associates, "2018 Wilshire Consulting Report on City & County Retirement Systems: Funding Levels and Asset Allocation," September 2018
  88. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of SB0777," accessed December 13, 2018
  89. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of SB0042," accessed December 13, 2018
  90. ↑ Investopedia, "Everything You Need to Know About Junk Bonds," accessed February 8, 2019
  91. ↑ Moody's, "Rating Action: Moody's affirms Chicago, IL's GO at Ba1 and revises outlook to stable," July 12, 2018
  92. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Standard & Poor’s affirms Chicago’s BBB+bond rating, citing warning flags," February 9, 2018
  93. ↑ 93.0 93.1 Chicago Tribune, "Illinois Supreme Court ruling forces city to find new fix for 2 pension funds," March 24, 2016
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 Chicago Sun-Times, "Ill. Supreme Court overturns city pension reforms," March 26, 2016
  95. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Mihalopoulos: COLA — It’s the real thing driving pension mess," June 7, 2016
  96. ↑ City of Chicago, "Mayor Emanuel Provides Roadmap to Continue to Confront Pension Obligations Head-On," December 12, 2018
  97. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named amend
  98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 98.2 98.3 98.4 Crain's Chicago Business, "Asked & Answered," February 4, 2019
  99. ↑ 99.0 99.1 CBS Chicago, "Chicago Mayor’s Race: Pensions," March 11, 2019
  100. ↑ 100.0 100.1 Chicago Sun-Times, "Toni Preckwinkle, candidate for mayor," January 18, 2019
  101. ↑ University of Illinois at Chicago, "Corruption in Chicago and Illinois," February 11, 2019
  102. ↑ WTTW, "Lori Lightfoot," accessed March 7, 2019
  103. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Column: Our unfolding political scandal is timed perfectly for real reform," February 7, 2019
  104. ↑ CNN, "Chicago board votes to close 50 schools," May 22, 2013
  105. ↑ CBS News, "Chicago Board of Ed votes to shut down 50 schools," May 22, 2013
  106. ↑ Chicago Teachers Union, "CTU President Karen Lewis Statement on CPS School Closings," accessed December 17, 2018
  107. ↑ Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, "Why these schools? Explaining school closures in Chicago, 2000-2013," November 2016
  108. ↑ WBEZ, "A Generation Of School Closings," December 3, 2018
  109. ↑ WTTW, "CPS Releases Space Utilization Data After Yearlong Gap," January 19, 2018
  110. ↑ Chalkbeat, "Chicago releases school ratings: Fewer make the top tiers," October 26, 2018
  111. ↑ 111.0 111.1 '"WBEZ, "Most Mayoral Candidates Say No To More Chicago School Closings," December 9, 2018
  112. ↑ 112.0 112.1 WBEZ, "Lori Lightfoot And Toni Preckwinkle Want An Elected School Board — But The Similarities End There," March 31, 2019
  113. ↑ The New York Times, "Chicago's Mayor Gains School Control That New York's Mayor Would Envy," June 25, 1995
  114. ↑ The Civic Federation, "Chicago Public Schools Board of Education Governance: A History and Review of Other Cities’ Practices," June 8, 2017
  115. ↑ Chicago Board of Education, "Home," accessed December 19, 2018
  116. ↑ Chicago Public Schools, "Chicago Public Schools FY19 Budget Interactive," accessed December 19, 2018
  117. ↑ Chicago Teachers Union Local 1, "Latest mayoral appointment underscores why we need elected, representative school board," December 14, 2018
  118. ↑ WBBM, "CTU Argues For Elected Chicago School Board," April 25, 2018
  119. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Elected school board bill passes committee despite CPS opposition," March 15, 2017
  120. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Emanuel, challengers face off over elected school boards," January 24, 2015
  121. ↑ Chicago Public Schools, "Local School Councils," accessed December 20, 2018
  122. ↑ 122.0 122.1 Chicago Sun-Times, "Lori Lightfoot, candidate for mayor," January 9, 2019
  123. ↑ Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Education," accessed December 20, 2018
  124. ↑ 124.0 124.1 Burnham, "The Quest for Affordable Housing: Chicago Adopts New Developer Requirements," October 24, 2017
  125. ↑ 125.0 125.1 City of Chicago, "Mayor Emanuel Introduces Two Ordinances Designed to Preserve, Enhance Pilsen and Little Village to City Council," November 14, 2018
  126. ↑ City of Chicago Office of the City Clerk, "O2018-6119," accessed December 30, 2018
  127. ↑ Block Club Chicago, "City Must Spend ‘Millions’ More To Combat Affordable Housing Shortage, Group Tells Aldermen," August 2, 2018
  128. ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "Chicago apartment developers scurry to beat new affordable-housing law," October 10, 2015
  129. ↑ Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, "Creating More Affordable Housing in Chicago," May 6, 2014
  130. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of HB2192," accessed March 19, 2019
  131. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of HB0255," accessed March 19, 2019
  132. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of SB2063," accessed March 19, 2019
  133. ↑ Lift the Ban, "Get the Facts," accessed March 19, 2019
  134. ↑ SHAPE Illinois, "The Issues," accessed March 19, 2019
  135. ↑ 135.0 135.1 WBEZ, "Chicago's Mayoral Candidates Answer 20 Yes Or No Questions," January 28, 2019
  136. ↑ 136.0 136.1 Chicago Magazine, "The Candidates Agree on Most Issues. Rent Control Isn’t One of Them," March 13, 2019
  137. ↑ 137.0 137.1 Chicago Police Department, "Annual Report 2017," accessed December 14, 2018
  138. ↑ Pew Research Center, "Despite recent violence, Chicago is far from the U.S. ‘murder capital,’" November 13, 2018
  139. ↑ Chicago Police Department, "ClearMap Crime Summary," accessed December 16, 2018
  140. ↑ ABC Chicago, "Jason Van Dyke sentenced to 6 years, 9 months in prison for Laquan McDonald murder," January 18, 2019
  141. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Judge acquits 3 Chicago cops of covering up Laquan McDonald's killing, backing police on each disputed point," January 17, 2019
  142. ↑ United States Department of Justice, "Investigation of the Chicago Police Department," January 13, 2017
  143. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Concerns mount over Chicago cop reform as Sessions vows to 'pull back,'" March 1, 2017
  144. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "U.S. attorney general says Chicago police consent decree should be tossed, while activists seek tighter rules," October 12, 2018
  145. ↑ FOP7 Blog, "FOP Statement On Proposed Consent Decree," July 20, 2018
  146. ↑ United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, "Consent Decree," accessed January 21, 2019
  147. ↑ Chicago Police Consent Decree, accessed January 21, 2019
  148. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Judge approves historic court order aimed at reforming Chicago Police Department: 'Let us begin,'" February 1, 2019
  149. ↑ CBS Chicago, "With Monitor In Place, Consent Decree To Overhaul Chicago Police Department Takes Effect," March 1, 2019
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  152. ↑ Cook County Clerk's Office, "Cook County TIFs to bring in a record $1 Billion according to Clerk Orr; Transit TIF revenue doubled," July 24, 2018
  153. ↑ City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed December 27, 2018
  154. ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "Nearly a Third of Property Tax Revenue in Chicago is Diverted into 143 TIF Districts," July 26, 2018
  155. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Where 16 Chicago mayoral candidates stand on TIFs: Their full responses," December 8, 2018
  156. ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Improving Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for Economic Development," accessed January 1, 2019
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  159. ↑ WGN TV, "Mayoral candidates take aim at city developments with desire to refocus funds," February 28, 2019
  160. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Toni Preckwinkle's administration hired Ald. Edward Burke's son to nearly $100K-a-year county job," January 4, 2019
  161. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Column: The short mayoral election season will be plenty long enough," March 8, 2019
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  164. ↑ CBS Chicago, "Mayoral Debate Focuses On Issues, Not Emanuel," January 28, 2011
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  181. ↑ Miami Herald, "He took a shot at a president-elect, and could have changed history," February 6, 2017
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