The Latest: 2 black women advance in Chicago mayor race
CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on the Chicago mayoral election (all times local):
10:20 p.m.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will face former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot in a runoff to become Chicago’s next mayor.
The race will guarantee the nation’s third-largest city will be led the next four years by an African-American woman.
Preckwinkle was the second highest vote-getter in Tuesday’s field of 14 and advances to an April 2 runoff with top vote-getter Lightfoot. Preckwinkle made a campaign issue out of black teenager Laquan McDonald’s 2014 fatal shooting by a white police officer.
She is trying to succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who did not seek re-election.
She previously served 19 years on the City Council and was a Chicago Public Schools teacher.
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9:45 p.m.
Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor in northern Illinois with no experience running for political office, has come out on top in Chicago’s crowded mayoral race and advances to a runoff.
Lightfoot, who could become the first African-American woman to lead the nation’s third-largest city, was the top vote-getter in a field of 14 Tuesday. She advances to a runoff election on April 2 against the candidate with the second-highest vote.
Lightfoot was an appointee of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s to two separate policing boards before announcing plans to run against him. He later announced he wouldn’t run for re-election.
Lightfoot, the first openly gay female to run for Chicago mayor, has been critical of efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department in the wake of the 2014 fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white police officer.
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7:10 p.m.
The polls have closed in Chicago, where voters are choosing the next mayor from a field of 14 candidates promising to steer the city in a new direction.
Chicago election officials say turnout for Tuesday’s election has been low despite the record number of candidates seeking to succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who decided against running for a third term.
Chicago Board of Election spokesman Jim Allen says the low turnout is surprising considering the race is a hotly contested one, with polls showing at least three candidates with nearly equal support among voters.
If none receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
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4:30 p.m.
Chicago election officials say they are seeing an uptick in the number of people casting ballots in the city’s mayoral race after earlier expressing fears of a record low turnout.
Chicago Board of Election spokesman Jim Allen says that while turnout will be low, it may surpass the 33.8 percent turnout during the 2007 election.
Allen says turnout reached 26.9 percent of the city’s approximately 1.6 million registered voters by late Tuesday afternoon. He noted the turnout is surprising considering the race is a hotly contested one, with polls showing at least three candidates with near equal support among voters.
Fourteen candidates are running to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who isn’t seeking a third term. If none receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
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1:30 p.m.
Election board officials say Chicago is headed toward possible historic low turnout for its mayoral election unless voting picks up in the final hours.
Chicago Board of Election spokesman Jim Allen said Tuesday afternoon that if the current pace keeps up the city is “not even going to hit 30 percent.” He says the previous low for a February mayoral election was 33.8 percent in 2007.
Fourteen candidates are running to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who isn’t seeking a second term. If none receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
Allen says he thinks many voters are undecided and want to hold off “until they know who’s in the runoff, assuming there is a runoff.” He urged people to vote and said, “they don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find out their candidate barely missed making the run off.”
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12:05 p.m.
Campaign finance records show that the 14 candidates for Chicago mayor raised a total of $28.9 million as of Monday.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the top three fundraisers in Tuesday’s election were Bill Daley, Toni Preckwinkle and Gery Chico.
Daley by far had the most money with $8.3 million and $2 million of that coming from Citadel Investments CEO Ken Griffin. Preckwinkle, who is the Cook County Board president, raised $4.6 million. Her top donor was the Service Employees International Union with $2.2 million.
Attorney Gery Chico came in third with $3.3 million. He was his own top donor, giving $190,000 to his campaign.
The candidates are competing to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is not seeking re-election.
It’s likely Tuesday’s vote will lead to a runoff. If none of the candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
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10 a.m.
Chicago residents are facing a lot of choices as they head to the polls to cast ballots for the city’s next mayor.
Voters are choosing from a field of 14 candidates who are all promising to steer the city in a new direction if they’re elected to succeed retiring Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The candidates include community activists, businessmen, former prosecutors and veteran politicians, including two whose fathers also held elective office.
Polls opened across the city early Tuesday and will close at 7 p.m. Polling sites include a beauty salon, DePaul University’s Athletic Training Center and park district facilities.
Voter Diana Sandoval tells the Chicago Tribune that she lined up before 6:45 a.m. to “make sure my voice counts, hopefully.”
If none of the candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
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11:20 p.m.
Voters are getting a chance to pick Chicago’s next mayor from a field of 14 candidates promising to steer the city in a new direction.
Those looking to succeed retiring Mayor Rahm Emanuel include veteran politicians — a couple whose fathers also held elective office — businessmen, former prosecutors and community activists.
It’s likely Tuesday’s vote will lead to a runoff. If none of the candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off April 2.
The variety of candidates reflects the many issues facing Chicago’s next mayor: poor neighborhoods in need of investment, overwhelming pension debt, low-performing public schools and a crime rate that is often pointed to as among the nation’s worst.
Although a nonpartisan election, most of the candidates have links to the Democratic Party. The Republican Party has virtually disappeared from the city.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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