In Chicago, High Crime Leads to a Mayor’s Downfall
Lori Lightfoot’s unusual defeat in a primary contest is a warning to leaders across the country: Voters have had enough.
All too familiar.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Crime, crime, crime. Also: crime. If there’s one issue responsible for the surprising downfall of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who this week became the city’s first incumbent to lose reelection in four decades, after failing to advance out of a primary round — it’s public safety. Here’s hoping other big-city mayors get the message.
Chicago’s recent plight is hard to overstate. Already in 2023, more than 70 people have been slain. That follows a surge in gun violence during the pandemic, with more than 800 people killed in 2021 and nearly 700 last year. Total serious crime rose by more than 33% from 2019, when Lightfoot took office, to 2022.