Conservatives are delighted that Chicago’s notorious criminal mayor lost her re-election bid in a spectacular manner in the Windy City on Tuesday night.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot scraped just 17 percent of the vote in the race for City Hall, and on April 4 forced
This made Lightfoot the first elected mayor of Chicago to lose a re-election bid since 1983, when Jane Byrne, the city’s first female mayor, lost her Democratic primary.
Lightfoot, the first black woman and first openly gay person to lead the city, won her first term in 2019 after pledging to end decades of corruption and backroom deals at City Hall.
However, opponents have blamed Lightfoot for a spike in crime that has occurred in cities across the United States during the pandemic and have criticized her as a divisive, overly controversial leader.
Among those leading the chorus of the celebration was controversial MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted: “Lori Lightfoot. Crime doesn’t pay.”
Many joined Greene on Twitter, saying they hope peace can finally be restored to the Windy City now that Lightfoot is gone.
Former Georgia State Assemblyman Vernon Jones tweeted, “Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot just got the FOOT! Other Democratic mayors with runaway crime in your cities, take note. Even liberals are tired of being insecure.’
Jonathan Turley, criminal defense attorney and contributor to FOX News, added: “There is still hope for my hometown. Lori Lightfoot is out.
“The greatest potential improvement for the city since the 1900s when the Chicago River reversed direction.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich added: “Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who placed third in her bid for a second term, is an encouraging sign that things can get bad enough for citizens to be able to defeat machines. Maybe Baltimore City is next.”
“The bad news for Lori Lightfoot is that she is no longer mayor of Chicago. The good news is she can spend her time in a safer place like Ukraine,” Fox News’ Jimmy Failla said.
While film star and comedian Rob Schneider contributed, “I will remember Lori Lightfoot as a bully who yelled at her constituents in the street and threatened to come back inside…”
“She’s proof that voting has consequences for anyone with a ‘D’ next to it… I’m glad even liberal Chicago said ENUF!” the Deuce Bigelow-Stern added.
Lightfoot’s critics took to Twitter to stress that she lost the election because she failed to fight crime in the Windy City
Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her re-election bid over criticism of her pro-crime approach amid a steady rise in violence. Pictured: Lightfoot at their election night rally on February 28th
On Facebook, a Chicago resident wrote: “I’m glad the trash is gone, Chicago needs a change, just hoping for a city where we can feel safe.”
Another wrote: “The good people of Chicago and these other beautiful American cities deserve better. Too soft on crime, it has driven businesses and residents away. She didn’t get along with the police, the teachers’ unions, the citizens and the companies.’
While another struck a different note, highlighting systemic problems in Chicago.
“A new mayor is not going to stop crime unless there is real systemic change in underserved neighborhoods. Stop and search and the National Guard won’t fix it! There’s a new breed of criminal out here!’ wrote a local resident.
On Chicago Reddit’s official page, in a thread titled, “Was Lori Lightfoot a Bad Mayor?” Many pointed out Lightfoot’s handling of the Covid-19 lockdown, such as: E.g. closing certain parks but not closing others.
“Some of their lockdown decisions absolutely defied explanation. Parks and beaches closed…but Montrose Dog Beach open,” wrote one user.
Paul Vallas (left) and Brandon Johnson (right) head for the April runoff
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, on the podium, holds hands with her wife, Amy Eshleman, as she concedes the vote in the February 28 mayoral race
Others questioned her handling of the anti-police protests caused by the 2021 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, including believing a conspiracy theory that a bus loaded with ANTIFA protesters was en route from Indiana.
“Was the ANTIFA bus conspiracy started by the looters so they could loot? Or did people know that all the police were somewhere else (they didn’t know about ANTIFA) so they looted?’ thought one user.
Hours after Lightfoot’s defeat was confirmed, resident Diana Dejacimo said on Fox & Friends that she doesn’t know anyone who voted for the incumbent.
Dejacimo explained that she was held at gunpoint in December amid the violence in the city.
“I think people just have enough. My message was: go out and change yourself. Regime change is the only way we can fix that, and I think that sent a loud and clear message that this wake-up agenda isn’t working for Chicago,” she told the network.
Rita DiPietro, who lives downtown, said she supported Lightfoot in 2019. But she voted for Vallas on Tuesday and said she was impressed by his detailed strategy to improve public safety.
“The candidates are all talking about what they would like to do,” she told the Associated Press. “This guy actually has a plan. He knows how he’s going to do it.”
Back in October, Lightfoot (above) was blown up when she took to TikTok to promote a citywide karaoke contest amid crime rage in the Windy City
Lindsey Hegarty, a 30-year-old paralegal living on Chicago’s North Side, said she supports Johnson because “he appeared to be the most forward-thinking candidate on issues like policing, mental health” and public transportation.
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Lightfoot called the office of mayor of Chicago “the honor of his life.”
“Regardless of the outcome of tonight, we fought the right battles and put this city on a better path,” said Lightfoot. She told her fellow mayors across the country not to be afraid to be bold.
Lightfoot’s comments about her loss stem from the controversial statement that much of her criticism stems from the fact that she is a black woman.
In 2021, WTTW’s Phil Ponce said: “Questions have been raised in recent months about your temperament and your response to criticism – a (Chicago) Tribune editorial used the term short-tempered – how much of that you think might have to do with the fact.” do that you are a woman, and a black woman at that?’
In response, Lightfoot said, ’99 percent of it.’
When asked to elaborate, Lightfoot said, “Look at my predecessors. Did people say Rich Daly held tea sessions with people he didn’t disagree with? Ron Emmanuel was a polite guy who was a Uniter?
‘NO. Women and people of color are always held by a different standard. I get that. I’ve known that all my life.”
As crime levels continued to rise in the final years of her tenure, Lightfoot was heavily criticized for promoting causes other than public safety, including a citywide karaoke competition and dancing in the streets during a festival.
Lightfoot first faced fierce backlash after joining calls by Democratic mayors to cut police department budgets in 2021
Lightfoot first faced fierce backlash after joining calls by Democratic mayors in 2021 to cut police department budgets, a move that also led to officers abandoning violence and rising violent crime.
The embattled mayor then committed to an about-face, opting instead to “refund the police” and hire more officers, but that move has done little to curb crime.
Rapes are up 16 percent so far this year compared to the same time in 2022, according to the latest report from the Chicago Police Department.
Robberies are also up 13 percent, with severe battery and burglaries both up 11 percent.
Theft in the Windy City is up 31 percent, and vehicle theft in particular is up 143 percent.
Homicides and shootings were the only category with a decrease of 18 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While the total number of violent crimes increased by 52 percent compared to the same period last year, it increased by 102 percent compared to 2021.
Favorite Paul Vallas thanks his supporters at his election night rally in Chicago
At his victory celebration, Vallas noticed that Lightfoot had called to congratulate him and asked the crowd to give her a round of applause.
Alluding to his campaign pledge to fight crime, he said that if elected, he would advocate for public safety issues.
“We will have a safe Chicago. We will make Chicago the safest city in America,” Vallas said.
Johnson noted Tuesday night’s likelihood of making the runoff given his low profile early in the race.
“A few months ago they said they didn’t know who I was. Well, if you didn’t know, now you know,” Johnson said.
He thanked the unions who supported him and gave a special shout out to his wife, telling the crowd, “Chicago, a black woman will still call the shots.”
Chicago residents cast their ballot Tuesday, with Lightfoot receiving just 17.1 percent of the vote, less than half of the front-runner
The loss of Lightfoot is unusual for major city mayors, who tended to be re-elected with relative ease. But it is also a sign of the turbulence in US cities after the COVID-19 pandemic with its economic consequences and violent crime, which has skyrocketed in many places.
Public safety has been an issue in other recent elections, including the dismissal of a San Francisco district attorney who has been criticized for his progressive policies.
The pandemic could also affect mayoral elections in other cities this year, such as Philadelphia and Houston, where term limits prevent incumbents from running for re-election.
There are clear contrasts between Vallas and Johnson.
Vallas served as an advisor to the Fraternal Order of Police during its negotiations with the Lightfoot government.
He has called for hundreds of police officers to be deployed to patrol the city and said crime was out of control and morale among officers plummeted to a new low during Lightfoot’s tenure.
Vallas’ opponents have criticized him for being too conservative to lead the Democratic stronghold.
Lightfoot blasted him for welcoming the support of the controversial police union leader, who defended the January 6 rioters in the Capitol and equated Lightfoot’s vaccination order for city workers with the Holocaust.
Johnson received about $1 million from the Chicago Teachers Union for his campaign and has been supported by several other progressive organizations, including United Working Families.
Chicago’s Magnificent Mile has seen a spike in vacancies in recent years as customers and businesses have been plagued by thieves
The former teacher and union organizer has argued that the answer to tackling crime is not more money for the police, but more investment in mental health care, education, jobs and affordable housing, and he has been accused by rivals like Lightfoot of disappointing the police want .
Johnson avoided the word “defund” during the race, and his campaign says he doesn’t want to reduce the number of police officers.
But in a 2020 radio interview, Johnson said defunding was not just a slogan, it was “an actual real political goal,” and he sponsored a non-binding resolution in the county board to divert money from police and prisons to social services.
Lightfoot accused Vallas of using “the ultimate dog whistle,” saying his campaign aims to “take back our town” and snuggle up to the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, whom she calls a racist.
A recent story in the Chicago Tribune also revealed that Valla’s Twitter account had liked racist tweets and tweets that mocked Lightfoot’s appearance and labeled her male.
Vallas denied his comments were linked to race and says his support for the police union came from rank and file officers.
He also said he wasn’t responsible for the “likes” tweets, which he called “disgusting” and suggested that someone illegally accessed his account.
Lightfoot touted her record of investing in neighborhoods and supporting workers, such as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
She also noted that the city has weathered unprecedented challenges such as the pandemic and its economic and public impact on anti-police protests.
When asked if she was unfairly treated because of her race and gender, Lightfoot said, “I’m a black woman in America. Naturally.’
Vallas, who has run school systems in Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia, lost a bid for mayor in 2019. This time he focused on public safety, saying police officers who left the force under Lightfoot’s administration will return if he is elected.
The other candidates were businessman Willie Wilson, Chicago City Council members Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer, activist Ja’Mal Green and state representative Kambium ‘Kam’ Buckner.