Chicago Mayor Lightfoot loses reelection

Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson each received more votes than incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday, and will now meet in the April 4 runoff election. Lightfoot is the first Chicago mayor to lose reelection since 1983. Before her term, Lightfoot promised to fight local corruption, but opponents blamed her for an increase in crime. 

Who are Vallas and Johnson? Vallas is running a campaign to make Chicago safe. He was the adviser to the Fraternal Order of Police, an organization advocating for law enforcement officers, during its negotiations with Lightfoot’s administration. He has called for adding hundreds of police officers to the Chicago force. Johnson is a former teachers’ union organizer and has said crime should be addressed through mental health care, education, and jobs. Lightfoot and other rivals have accused him of wanting to defund the police, though he has denied that accusation. 

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion about how police need boosts to staff, not just to budgets.