(Chicago) Lori Lightfoot, the first mayor of Chicago to be black and openly lesbian, failed to be re-elected on Tuesday, a situation unheard of for 40 years in the metropolis of the Midwest in the United States, reported the American media.
The non-re-election of M.me Lightfoot came as a shock in the nation’s third-largest city, which for decades has traditionally awarded its mayor at least two terms.
“We know that in life, in the end, you don’t always win the battle. But you never regret standing up to the mighty and bringing light,” Lori Lightfoot told supporters after conceding defeat.
Blamed by her rivals for the growing crime rate in the city, she nevertheless wanted to express her encouragement to her successor, and said she prayed “that the next mayor will live up to the expectations of the inhabitants of the city for years. coming “.
She had won every ward in the city in 2019, but rising crime rates and the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic had weakened her support.
According to the daily Chicago Grandstand, two candidates garnered enough votes to advance to the second round, which will take place on April 4. Paul Vallas, former superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, was backed by the police union. Brandon Johnson, Cook County elected official and former teacher, won the support of the teachers’ union.