Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle and Bill Daley out to early lead in Chicago mayor's race

[RandySF]

Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle jumped out in a narrow three-way battle in the first round of the Chicago mayor’s race Tuesday night, as a record 14 candidates fought to advance in an election that drew near record low turnout.

With votes scarcer than expected and polls showing a half-dozen or more candidates within striking distance, the goal was to break into the top two and qualify for the April 2 runoff election. That is the result if no candidate collects more than 50 percent of the vote the first time around.

Unofficial results showed Lightfoot with 17.4 percent of the vote, Preckwinkle with 15.6 percent and Daley with 14.8 percent with 66 percent of precincts counted. They were trailed by businessman Willie Wilson with 10 percent, state comptroller Susana Mendoza with 9 percent, Southwest Side attorney Jerry Joyce with 7 percent, activist and policy consultant Amara Enyia with 7 percent and former CPS board president Gery Chico with 6 percent.

The remaining six candidates, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, state Rep. LaShawn Ford, former Ald. Bob Fioretti, tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin, attorney John Kozlar each had collected less than 6 percent.


https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-chicago-election-results-mayor-20190226-story.html

[brooklynite]

1. 70% reporting: Lightfoot and Precwinkle are leading

Both are African American women

[lunasun]

3. Lightfoot is a lesbian married with a daughter

A progressive black lesbian !
her family

[MountCleaners]

8. Thank goodness!

PLEASE....not ANOTHER Daley!!

[mopinko]

2. and i have a new alderman!!!!

so happy. unfortunately i was hoping for a little more chaos in city hall than we will get.

49th wd- maria hadden beats joe moore out of an 8th term. so happy.
sadly, john arena, a good progressive, is getting beat, mostly over affordable housing esp for veterans. booo.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Wow! I would call that a mess having so many running.

[lunasun]

5. Ald. Ed Burke who was charged in attempted extortion case and hired by trump - Winning bigly

( for alderman not mayor)

[frazzled]

6. It goes to show

That the size of a war chest does not determine the outcome of an election. Lori Lightfoot did not have nearly as much money as several of the other candidates, by a long shot.

I’m pumped: both of these women would be great mayors. Gonna be a tough runoff between two very smart, very distinguished black women.

Other lesson to take from this election: the turnout was miserably low, and most feel that a prime reason for this was the huge number of candidates in the race (14), which left voters confused and undecided. I worry that our very large field of presidential candidates could lead to a similar scenario, in which people give up trying to choose and sit it out. We need to keep our eye on this, and encourage candidates with little chance at the beginning of the voting cycle to drop out. I hope we get down to at most 6 or 7 candidates ASAP.

[RandySF]

7. It's also a lousy time of year to hold an election.

[frazzled]

9. That's a given

But still, turnout appears to be down compared recent previous February elections here, especially for an “open” race.

[LuvLoogie]

10. 87.5 % reporting Lightfoot still leading with steady 17.3+%. Preckwinkle holding off Daley by 1.29 %

Please Chicago. Let's turn the page...finally.

[lunasun]

11. Daley has conceded . Lightfoot has come in first Preckwinkle second

On to April
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