Lori Lightfoot made history on Tuesday as she defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff election to become the next mayor of Chicago, becoming the first African-American and first openly LGBT person – to hold the position in the city.
Lightfoot, a 56-year-old former federal prosecutor and practicing lawyer who has never before held elected office, won the Midwestern city’s mayoral race in a lopsided victory.
She beat out Toni Preckwinkle, the chief executive of Cook County in which Chicago is located, by a wide margin of 74 to 26 percent in early voting results with most ballots counted. Preckwinkle is also African-American.
The reform candidate, who won in a landslide victory, will succeed Rahm Emanuel this spring.
“Together, we can and will finally put the interests of our people – all of our people – ahead of the interests of a powerful few,” Lightfoot said in her victory speech Tuesday, vowing to bring an end to the city’s gun violence, corruption and other problems. “Together, we can and will make Chicago a place where your zip code doesn’t determine your destiny.”
Lightfoot describes herself as “an out and proud black lesbian.” When she is sworn in, she will be the first mayor in the Windy City who identifies as a lesbian.
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The initial field in the mayoral race consisted of 14 contenders, but Lightfoot managed an upset — sidelining moderates and establishment figures by promising to clean up city government and reduce economic inequality.
She and Preckwinkle were the final two left competing in Tuesday’s run-off election.
Lightfoot headed a panel investigating the city’s policing problems and held a number of appointed positions in city government.
She has promised to increase affordable housing, fight homelessness and crime, and boost oversight of the police department.
