Key takeaways:
- Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot is seeking a second term, while four other contenders have emerged at the top of the race.
- Lightfoot has had a contentious relationship with teachers’ and police unions.
- The election is officially nonpartisan, and is expected to go to an April 4 runoff between the top two vote-getters.
Chicago is gearing up for a hotly contested mayoral election on Tuesday, with no candidate expected to top the 50% necessary to avoid a runoff. Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot is seeking a second term, while four other contenders have emerged at the top of the race: progressive Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, and Paul Vallas, who was head of schools in Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans.
Lightfoot has had a contentious relationship with teachers’ and police unions, and is now looking to survive the first round of voting. Johnson is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers’ Union, a powerful organization that has been vocal in its opposition to Lightfoot.
The election is officially nonpartisan, though all the candidates are Democrats. With such a large field, it is unlikely that any candidate will receive more than 50% of the vote, so the race is expected to go to an April 4 runoff between the top two vote-getters.
Voters in Chicago will have their say on Tuesday, and the results will be closely watched to see who will advance to the April 4 runoff. The election is a crucial one for the city, with the winner set to lead the Democratic stronghold for the next four years.
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