The Chicago mayor’s race shows Democrats still have a crime problem

Incumbent mayors in Chicago almost never lose a reelection bid. But Lori Lightfoot ran into an issue that’s plaguing Democrats across the country.

Lori Lightfoot made history four years ago when she won every ward in the city of Chicago to become the first Black woman and first openly gay person to be elected mayor of America’s third-largest city. She made it again last night, becoming the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose a reelection bid.

Lightfoot’s loss was expected, but it also served as a referendum on her first four years in office and on crime in Chicago. The coronavirus pandemic dealt a huge economic hit to the city, and violent crime surged during the outbreak, reaching levels not seen in the city since the 1990s. Because of this, and because of Lightfoot’s poor relationship with other political leaders, she was viewed as the underdog, just like in her last race. Nearly half of Chicago voters rated crime and public safety as their top electoral issues, and more than 60 percent of voters said they felt personally unsafe in the city, according to an early February poll.

That continues a trend in many American cities dominated by Democrats. Crime rates rose during the pandemic and have since moderated a bit, but some visible kinds of crime have continued to test Democrats politically. In Chicago, homicides and shootings have trended down after drastic rises in 2021 and 2022, while property crimes have risen over the last four years. The city has also seen high-profile shootings, increasing crime in downtown, constant media coverage about the violence, and heated rhetoric about how bad crime has become by the police union and Lightfoot herself.

Sometimes things turn out as they should. Maybe her replacement won’t be worse. Even Vox can see how bad she was.

2 posted on 03/02/2023 6:11:42 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

Use the Rudy formula - it’s not that hard, unless you subscribe to “they all look alike”.

Find the 5000 worst criminals, send them upstate for 20 years, problem solved - until they come back.

3 posted on 03/02/2023 6:13:34 PM PST by Jim Noble (You have sat too long for any good you have been doing)

Tim Pool made a pretty convincing case that voting was one to one corresponded by race

4 posted on 03/02/2023 6:14:04 PM PST by dsrtsage ( Complexity is just simple lacking imagination)

Yep. Under Rudy I think the murder rate fell to 4 per 100,000 instead of Lightfoot where the murder rate increased to around 300 per 100,000.

5 posted on 03/02/2023 6:18:05 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

DemocRats still have a crime problem? They are a crime problem.

6 posted on 03/02/2023 6:20:07 PM PST by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)

Democrats have a dumb voter problem who allow this crap and stupidity to fester in the first place

7 posted on 03/02/2023 6:32:11 PM PST by NWFree (Somebody has to say it 🤪)

Rudy (+Bratton) excelled at finding the worst criminals.

Prior and subsequent administrations had the problem of being unable to distinguish normal black people and lowlife scumbags from monsters.

8 posted on 03/02/2023 7:05:44 PM PST by Jim Noble (You have sat too long for any good you have been doing)

“The Chicago mayor’s race shows Democrats still have a crime problem”

And that’s just in the Democrat party.

9 posted on 03/02/2023 8:22:08 PM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)

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