Chicago Mayor Election Results 2023: Lori Lightfoot loses re-election bid

The Chicago Mayor election results 2023 are out, and incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her re-election bid, with the final votes showing that two of her rivals will face each other in an April runoff ballot. Lightfoot was the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as the city's mayor after being elected in 2019. Lori had been trying to gain a second term, but her handling of a series of crises drew sharp criticism. This includes the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice protests, a teachers' strike, besides crime in the city.

In her concession speech, Lori sounded positive and said, "We put this city on a better path."

Chicago is known for its rampant criminal spree, but 2021 is when it witnessed the most murders in a quarter-century, with the tally standing at 800 murders. While the homicide rate dropped 14 per cent in 2022, it remained nearly 40 per cent higher as compared to 2019.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The drop in murders in 2022, Lori says happened because of her strategies, such as hiring more officers and focusing on illegal guns. According to polls, people in the city are most concerned about public safety.

Paul Vallas, the former public schools chief in Chicago and Philadelphia, bagged the top spot in the mayoral race, raking in 34.9 per cent of the vote with 91 per cent of precincts reporting. Vallas had ran against Lori for Chicago mayor in 2019 as well.

Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and an organiser for the Chicago Teachers Union, secured the other spot in the runoff race, taking 20.2 per cent of votes. Lightfoot managed to get only 16.4 per cent of vote totals.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.