Cyrus Langhorne
Chicago politician Lori Lightfoot is out here making history. The popular former federal prosecutor defeated Toni Preckwinkle Tuesday in a runoff for Chicago mayor.
Last night, Lightfoot officially won the election becoming the first openly gay and black woman Chi-Town mayor.
With over 91 percent of precincts in, Lightfoot led Preckwinkle 73.7 percent to 26.3 percent, according to the Chicago board of elections website. Lightfoot pumped her fist in the air and the crowd cheered when she said, “Thank you Chicago!” “In this election Toni and I were competitors, but our differences are nothing compared to what we can achieve together,” Lightfoot said. “Now that it’s over, I know we will work together for the city that we both love.” (NBC News)
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Lori also went to social media to celebrate the game-changing victory.
Thank you, Chicago! pic.twitter.com/IimreRoBff
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
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“Thank you very much. God bless you all, and God bless Chicago.”
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
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"Every child out there should know this:
Each of you, one day, can be the Mayor of Chicago."
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
“In the Chicago we will build together, we will celebrate our differences. We will embrace our uniqueness. And we will make certain that we all have every opportunity to succeed.”
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
"They’re seeing a city where it doesn’t matter what color you are, where it sure doesn’t matter how tall you are, and where it doesn’t matter who you love."
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
“Out there tonight a lot of little girls and boys are watching us. And they’re seeing the beginning of something, well, a little bit different.
They’re seeing a city reborn.”
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
“I’ve met families from our immigrant communities, people from Mexico, people from Central and South America, people from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, people from all over the world. And these people are scared of the climate of hate and fear.”
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) April 3, 2019
Lightfoot has made a name for herself in Chicago from her work as an attorney.
Ms. Lightfoot’s rise was unexpected only weeks ago, when 13 other candidates were vying to run the nation’s third-largest city, many of them far better known — with decades of experience in Chicago politics and with dynastic names like Daley. Ms. Lightfoot is a lawyer who has served in appointed positions, including as head of the Chicago Police Board and as a leader of a task force that issued a scathing report on relations between the Chicago police and black residents, but she was not widely known around the city until recent months. (New York Times)
Lori’s campaign heavily focused on stopping gun violence and addressing the Chicago Police Department.
Ms. Lightfoot, 56, who held city government jobs under two mayors, presented herself on the campaign trail as an antidote to Mr. Emanuel’s eight years in office and as an answer to the city’s far longer tradition of machine politics. She criticized Mr. Emanuel’s decision to close dozens of schools, mainly in Hispanic and black neighborhoods, and focused especially on promises to overhaul the Chicago Police Department and reduce gun violence. (New York Times)
