Chicago racial politics heats up as Mayor Lori Lightfoot rallies Black voters to ‘keep the seat’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot greets supporters during an early vote kickoff event at the Greenwood Oasis on Feb. 18, 2022, in Grand Crossing.
Lightfoot is facing eight opponents in the February 28 election as she seeks a second term. Six of her rivals are Black, which has become a talking point for the mayor and her allies who worry about splitting the vote.The remarks came at a rally that frequently tapped into the historic disinvestment that South Side neighborhoods have suffered, with the mayor once again saying the “destiny” of Black Chicago is on the ballot.
“We need the South Side to come like a mighty roar to the polls,” Lightfoot said. “We don’t need to be the Israelites wandering in the desert for 30 years. We need to get to the promised land right now, right here, and we won’t get there if you don’t vote.” Many of those voters are now disenchanted with Lightfoot, and she has been working vigorously to lock in support from the Black community.
Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO who has been criticized for associating with the Fraternal Order of Police, recently told a Southwest Side crowd that his campaign is “about taking back our city,” a comment that rings of a dog whistle to some.“This is disqualifying rhetoric for anyone hoping to lead a Chicago that is a multiracial and multiethnic city,” Garcia said. “We need unity not division.”“We can do better than this, y’all,” the campaign tweeted.
Later, during an afternoon rally at a community center in West Garfield Park, more surrogates for Lightfoot’s campaign implored the audience not to split the Black vote as the mayor sat in the front row and looked on.
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