Chicago will elect first Black female mayor Lightfoot or Preckwinkle

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

Chicago To Elect First Black Female Mayor This Week

Something historical is about to happen in the City of Chicago and for once it has nothing to do with stats about violence and death.

Tuesday, the city will elect the very first Black female mayor of the city as both candidates, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle, are Black women. Despite the sistahood invovled in this historical campaign, things did get VERY contentious with questions of racial authenticity, negative campaign ads, and public name-calling according to USAToday.

The heated race has lead leaders like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to call for the two sides to agree to a “unity pledge” press conference on Wednesday morning after the election.

“The race was competitive and often divisive,” Jackson said. “The race ends Tuesday. The healing must begin Wednesday morning.”

Based on the polls, it looks like Lightfoot has a HUGE lead on Preckwinkle at 53% to 17% and the former recently compared the latter to the most disgusting of creatures…

“It’s like cockroaches – there’s a light that’s shined on them,” Lightfoot said at an event where she signed an ethics pledge and took her shot at Preckwinkle and the other candidates. “They scramble.”

Lightfoot, who is also part of the LGBTQ community, might have residual vitriol that stems from rhetoric far more incendiary than political name-calling…

Lightfoot, who is a lesbian and would be the city’s first openly LGBTQ mayor, questioned whether Preckwinkle “was blowing some kind of dog whistle” to conservative voters after the county board president brought up her sexual orientation at a debate. (Should Lightfoot win, Chicago will become the largest city to be led by an LGBTQ person.)

We’re glad to see that there are two Black women who are passionately chasing the highest office in The Windy City. Hopefully, that healing that Rev. Al and Jesse are calling for can be achieved.