Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), who was voted out of office during a surge in crime, has promised she is “not going anywhere.”
Lightfoot told WGN-TV’s host Paul Lisnek during an interview that since leaving office she has been focused on “reclaiming” her life and “spending time” with her family, adding that she has “no intention” to leave the city. In February, Lightfoot became the first mayor to lose her re-election bid in over 30 years.
“I have no intention to leave Chicago,” Lightfoot said on Sunday. “My daughter is a rising sophomore in high school and I want to make sure that I am here and present for her in these most critical years. I think I owe it to my wife to be physically present and take on a greater share of the parenting and household responsibility.”
Under Lightfoot’s leadership, the city saw crime rates surge, especially during the George Floyd protests.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) released data showing more than 800 homicides had been reported in the city during 2021, a number not seen since 1994, according to the Chicago Tribune.
In total, 2,784 homicides and 14,681 shootings were reported to have occurred in Chicago under Lightfoot’s leadership between May 2019 and May 2023, representing a 9% increase from the 2,546 homicides reported under former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), according to Fox News.
After losing her re-election bid, Lightfoot blamed racial and gender issues for her loss.
The current Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson (D) won his election against his opponent, Paul Vallas, who ran on a tough-on-crime platform. Johnson ran on progressive policies and focused on messages of racial and economic disparities, according to NBC News.
