Last Tuesday, the city of Chicago made history by becoming the most significant American City to elect a black woman as a mayor. Voters all over Chicago voted massively for Lori Lightfoot who on resuming office by May will be the first openly gay mayor in Chicago.
Ms. Lori Lightfoot is a lawyer who has no history as an elective office but had the support of voters enough to outrun a more popular, longtime politician, Toni Preckwinkle in the polls. This is a significant table turner especially in a city widely known for a long history of insider dealings and corruption. Her principal opponent, Toni Preckwinkle, for some years has been seen as a very viable mayoral candidate being a former alderman and also president of the Cook County Board.
For lots of Chicago dwellers, Ms. Lightfoot’s win at 56 is a sign of migration from a political culture which has always favored insiders above others. The long term political mantra; “We don’t want nobody nobody sent” is on its way out of fashion.
When Ms. Lightfoot rose to speak at a celebration event Tuesday night, it was evident she never expected the landslide victory. In her own words, “We were up against powerful interests, a powerful machine, and a powerful mayor,” she said. “Nobody gave us much of a chance.”
The LGBT community was not left out of the victory celebration as well as Ms. Lightfoot’s win was also celebrated by the National Advocates for Gay rights. Stephanie Sandberg, the executive director of LPAC, believes the victory will serve as a reflection of all young women serving in significant political positions.
Despite having served in appointed positions such as the head of the Chicago Police Board and a task force leader which worked tirelessly on exposing the unappetizing relationship between the Chicago Police Force and Black Residents of the major city, she wasn’t widely known until thirteen weeks ago when she contested against 13, more popular candidates including Daley for Mayor.
Ms. Lightfoot, a partner at Mayer Brown, pledged to use her newness in Chicago politics to make new, positive differences in Chicago City Hall.
