In 2019, the first Black woman and out lesbian to serve as mayor of Chicago could sell herself as a progressive. Yesterday, she couldn't. What changed?
Missing in this analysis of 2019, however, is the fact that she did have a strong rival in the runoff, Cook County Board of Commissioners Toni Preckwinkle, who is also Black. Lightfoot pulled 17.5% & Preckwinkle 16% in the first round. It was Preckwinkle who ran as a progressive; Lightfoot called herself a reformer. Amplifying perceptions that Preckwinkle was part of the Chicago Machine helped Lightfoot win that round by a landslide. LL then reneged on her promise to release the Laquan MacDonald footage immediately.
Missing in this analysis of 2019, however, is the fact that she did have a strong rival in the runoff, Cook County Board of Commissioners Toni Preckwinkle, who is also Black. Lightfoot pulled 17.5% & Preckwinkle 16% in the first round. It was Preckwinkle who ran as a progressive; Lightfoot called herself a reformer. Amplifying perceptions that Preckwinkle was part of the Chicago Machine helped Lightfoot win that round by a landslide. LL then reneged on her promise to release the Laquan MacDonald footage immediately.