The Windy City heads to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a historic runoff election between two black women.
Lori Lightfoot, 56, is a former prosecutor who served as president of the Chicago Police Board. She ran on a platform of pushing back on the “machine” politics that Chicago has often been associated with. If elected, Lightfoot would also be the first openly gay mayor of the city.
Lightfoot faces Toni Preckwinkle, 71, a locally well-known politician who has a strong organized labor backing. Preckwinkle was the first woman to lead the Cook County Democrats and received the sought-after endorsement of the Chicago Teacher’s Union.
During the general election back in February, voters ended “Daley” dominance over the city by knocking William “Bill” Daley, who served as former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff from 2011 to 2012, out of the runoff election.
Bill Daley’s brother, Richard M. Daley, was in office from 1989 to 2011, making him Chicago’s longest serving mayor.
Daley’s father, Richard J. Daley, served as mayor from 1955 to 1976. The elder Daley’s tenure was marred by corruption, with many of his staff facing charges despite Daley escaping without a criminal record.
Chicago rejected that machination of family politics in February when it chose the two women out of field of 13 candidates. Lightfoot and Preckwinkle were close during the runoff, Lightfoot received 17.5 percent of the vote, while Preckwinkle took in 16 percent. Daley landed in third at 14.8 percent.
A poll of Chicago voters conducted from March 18-20 shows that Lightfoot has an advantage, with 47 percent saying they will vote for her and only 14 percent saying they will vote for Preckwinkle, although 29 percent were undecided in the poll that has a 4-point margin of error.
Polls close in Chicago at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The winner will replace current Mayor Rahm Emanuel who announced last year that he would not run for reelection.
