With Polls Closing, Lightfoot Looks like the Frontrunner Going into the Mayoral Runoff

photo from the Lori Lightfoot F acebook page

With polls closed at 7:00, according to the Associated Press as of 8:23 PM, 74.5% of precincts are now reporting their results in the municipal Chicago election of 2019. In a surprise to polls from a month ago, Lori Lightfoot looks to be the frontrunner in a crowded field with 17.5% of the vote.

Lightfoot is followed closely behind by Toni Preckwinkle with 15.8%, and Bill Daley with 14.8%. This will mean a lot going into the run off, as many expect more shake ups considering the spread of votes between the other 14 candidates.

The last month saw as many changes as it did in part to Lightfoot’s endorsement by the Chicago Sun Times , as well as her willingness to tackle Chicago’s corruption.

Lightfoot’s experience is in years of work as a federal prosecutor and was also appointed the Chair of Chicago’s Police Accountability Task Force.

“We need to govern from the perspective of inviting people whose lived experience are going to be affected by policies into the discussion,” Lightfoot said. “And that’s not happening now.”

Police Accountability has afforded her a unique position with a hopeful view forward.

“We need a broad, transparent plan to support businesses that are rooted in, hiring in, and building wealth in our neighborhoods,” Lightfoot said. “As mayor, I’ll work with banks and other lenders to expand access to capital and make sure that as we grow the central business district, we create real economic opportunity in our neighborhoods. Creating opportunity requires expanding pathways to good-paying jobs, from vocational training to wrap-around services for people without a history of work, to make sure that every person in every neighborhood can benefit from our city’s economic prosperity.”