On Tuesday, voters from around the city of Chicago took to the polls and helped determine who would serve as mayor. As Tuesday turned into Wednesday, it’s unclear who will serve as mayor in the future. However, it is clear that incumbent Lori Lightfoot will not be the person for the job. Early projections have the current Chicago mayor sitting outside of the top two that will move on to the next stage of the electoral process. Instead, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas are expected to go toe-to-toe in the runoff election next month.
“Obviously, we didn’t win the election. But I stand here with my head held high and my heart full of thanks,” Lightfoot told her supporters on Tuesday evening.
“You will not be defined by how you fall. You will be defined by how hard you work and how much you do for other people.”
Elsewhere, supporters of the top two candidates rejoiced. In his celebration speech, Vallas returned to the tough-on-crime message that he has delivered through much of his campaign.
“I haven’t been this happy since my son returned from Afghanistan,” Vallas said.
“Public safety is the fundamental right of every American. It is a civil right, and it is the principal responsibility of government. We will have a safe Chicago. We will make Chicago the safest city in America.”
Meanwhile, Johnson made it a point to tell his supporters that he would reinvest the resources of the city back into its residents.
“Well Chicago, we did it y’all. They said that this would never happen. I am so freakin’ proud because we did this. A few months ago, they said they didn’t know who I was. Well, if you didn’t know, now you know,” Johnson said.
“Tonight is about building a Chicago that truly invests in our people. The most radical thing we can do as a city is to love the people of Chicago. Loving people and investing in people — that is the way my father raised me. The finances of this city belong to the people of the city. So, we’re gonna invest in the people of the city.”
The runoff election is set to take place on April 4, 2023.
