WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2023) Lori Lightfoot became the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose a bid for re-election amid widespread voter dissatisfaction with her handling of crime, failing to qualify for a runoff vote that will pit former public school chief Paul Vallas against Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
"I've called Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas to congratulate them on their victories in advancing," Lightfoot told supporters in a concession speech late on Tuesday after receiving only 16.4% of the votes.
Both, Lightfoot and Johnson are members of the Democratic Party, while Vallas is non-partisan.
Lightfoot's defeat marked the first time that an incumbent lost the race for mayor since 1983, when the city's first female mayor, Jane Byrne, was defeated in a Primary vote.
Polls ahead of the election showed that rising crime was a chief concern among voters in Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States. One recent poll by Northwestern University showed that crime was the most important issue for 57% of voters.
Criminal incidents in Chicago have risen by nearly 20% in the past five years, according to a 2022 year-end report published by the Chicago Police Department. Moreover, between 2021 and 2022, the crime rate in the city rose by 41%, the report showed.
The city authorities have scheduled the runoff election for April 4.
