This is an in-depth look at who will be running for this year’s mayor. The list seems to be quite loaded with candidates. Lori Lightfoot’s may be diminished. She has about ten foes going against her. The Board of Elections stated that the ballot will close at the end of December.
Mayoral Candidate Deadline
Monday was the deadline for the ballot. The list may change with time. The candidates with the most upvotes will face off in April if none of the candidates has more than 50% of votes in February.
Lori Lightfoot
Chicago’s current mayor initially ran back in 2019 and was elected. The debate was rough, especially going up against Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served two terms. Lightfoot is the first-ever Black female and gay mayor. She believes that she is the only mayor who had to fight relentlessly for her spot.
Lightfoot stated “Like so many in our city, I’ve had to fight to have my voice heard. That’s why I’ll never back down from fighting every day to turn your voice into action.”
Jesus ‘Chuy’ García
Chuy recently ran for mayor in 2015 but was unsuccessful. Here he is running again, for redemption. He announced his bid on the 40th anniversary of “Come Alive October 5” for the first African American mayor, Harold Washington.
Chuy was born in Mexico in 1965. He eventually moved to the United States.
Rudy Lozano, a labor activist and community organizer from Little Village, worked with Chuy before he was assassinated. Chuy’s family also lived in Little Village.
“When I walk down 26th Street, I see the hustle and bustle… I feel at home. I feel proud,” he stated during his campaign declaration. “But Chicago is at a crossroads. It’s not like that for everyone.”
Chicago needs a leader with a vision of our future and the know-how and the empathy to get us there together. From crime to unemployment to the shortage of affordable housing, there is so much we need to build. As we emerge from a global pandemic and a racial reckoning that exposed the painful history of inequity in our city. People are still living paycheck-to-paycheck, and folks are still in fear of losing their homes, their livelihoods, and yes, their loved ones
Frederick Collins
Collins is a former Chicago police officer with thirty years of experience. He wants to implement curfew times, stop-and-frisk laws, and body cams too.
The officer wants the police force to not chase down anyone who committed any small offenses. Also, make Chicago watch over sidewalks.
Johnny Logalbo
A Facebook page revealed that Logalbo was running for mayor. He wants to “bring the focus more on God, the people, and Love.” Logalbo claimed to be a freelance counselor with years of expertise to care for others and a desire to infuse the mayor’s office with compassion. He said that this is his first election campaign.
Roderick Sawyer
Sawyer is the 6th Ward’s representative on City Council since 2011. Roderick Sawyer intends to remove Chicago Police Supt. David Brown and address officer vacancies by providing employment rewards. Sawyer plans to carry on his father’s, Eugene, legacy as mayor. He serves as a chairman of the Committee on Health and Human Relations.
Sophia King
Ald. Sophia King wants to take action to fire Chicago Police Supt. Brown, fill open positions within the force and establish a “Chicago Reserve” of 1,000 former officers. She works to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15, fought to keep Mercy Hospital’s restoration deal in place as it threatened shutdown, and promoted renaming Lake Shore Drive while serving as chair of the City Council’s progressive caucus.
Full List of Candidates
- Kam Buckner
- Frederick Collins
- Jesús “Chuy” García
- Ja’Mal Green
- Brandon Johnson
- Sophia King
- Lori Lightfoot
- Johnny Logalbo
- Roderick Sawyer
- Paul Vallas
- Willie Wilson
Written By: Alexis Medina
Sources:
WBEZ: Here’s who’s running for Chicago mayor
Block Club Chicago: Here’s Who’s Running To Be Chicago’s Next Mayor
NBC Chicago: 11 Candidates File to Run for Chicago Mayor as Monday Deadline Arrives
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of risingthermals Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Images Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
