Lori Lightfoot fails to advance mayoral reelection

Leah Cooper on March 6, 2023

Lori Lightfoot – The city of Chicago has seen substantial transformations as its political dynamics have shifted.

Lori Lightfoot, the city’s mayor, did not place in the top two in the April runoff.

The development is the first time in over 40 years that a full-term incumbent Chicago mayor has lost reelection.

The news

Lori Lightfoot did not make the top two for the runoff on Tuesday, indicating how the political situation has evolved.

In recent years, Chicago has become the third large city to hold a mayoral election that puts public opinion to the test, notably with crime and policing.

Lori Lightfoot placed third in a nine-person municipal election field, with support from around one in every six Chicago voters.

She is the first Chicago mayor to lose reelection in 40 years.

Lightfoot’s term

Lori Lightfoot battled with police and teachers’ unions during her tenure.

At the same time, she had a chilly relationship with city councilors and Illinois’ Democratic governor, severing ties with a number of powerful friends.

Violence has escalated under Lori Lightfoot’s leadership, making voters nervous.

Chicago’s public transit system was likewise plagued by delays and service deficiencies.

While she was praised for her handling of the Coronavirus outbreak, Chicago’s economic recovery left much to be desired.

Violence in the Second City

While crime in Chicago increased in 2020 and 2021, Lightfoot’s performance highlighted her focus on public safety.

Shootings and homicides have fallen, according to the Chicago Police Department’s 2022 year-end report.

Nevertheless, additional crimes began to become an issue, such as:

Burglaries
Car-jacking
Robberies

Changes

The mayoral election has focused on crime and public safety, demonstrating that voter opinions have shifted.

Lori Lightfoot campaigned as a police reformer four years ago, promising to alter how cops are supervised and penalized.

In 2019, she came in first place in a crowded mayoral race, garnering 17.5% of the vote.

“We can and will remake Chicago,” Lightfoot vowed.

Despite the mayor’s first-round victory in 2019, it would subsequently play a factor in the mayor’s future troubles.

Lori Lightfoot was elected to a position considered a “political lightning rod” because she lacked a steady support base.

Throughout the campaigns, her toughness was a key selling factor, but it lost her supporters.

Clashes

Lori Lightfoot disagreed with teacher and police unions prior to (and during) the pandemic, which cost her the election in 2023 because the groups favored competitors.

A dispute with the Chicago Teachers Union in 2019 over compensation and class size resulted in an 11-day walkout as she attempted to cut expenditures.

They fought again in 2022, when Lightfoot attempted to get instructors to return to the classrooms in the face of mounting Covid cases.

The union backed Brandon Johnson, who was previously unknown outside of the Chicago County commission area, in the fall.

“Chicago is ready to break with the politics of the past that ignore the needs of our students, their families, and school communities,” said Stacy Davis Gates, the union president.

Lori Lightfoot also alienated police last year during a spat over overtime pay in a department struggling to attract and retain officers.

Lightfoot contended the cops had more than ample vacation time.

The fight was one of the worst in the administration’s years-long feud with the police as she fought to cut on overtime spending.

Paul Vallas was sponsored by the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.

Vallas has previously served as a school superintendent in the following areas:

Chicago
Philadelphia
New Orleans
Bridgeport
Connecticut

He also aired a pro-police ad, referencing cops in his family.

Conservative voters were drawn in by Vallas’ tough-on-crime campaign.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced his departure this month on Wednesday, giving the next mayor the opportunity to bring in fresh leadership to the department.

A focus on crime

The political winds in Chicago are similar to those in New York, where former police captain Mayor Eric Adams was elected in 2021.

Last year, former Rep. Karen Bass defeated Richard Caruso, a millionaire developer who spent millions on a law-and-order campaign.

Bass won by proposing more police officers and declaring a state of emergency to handle the homelessness epidemic.

Although their comparable messages, Vallas and Adams vary in that Vallas is White and Adams is Black.

Vallas and Johnson gained more support from Chicago’s predominately White north side.

Lori Lightfoot, on the other hand, enjoyed backing from Black communities in the south and west.

The two outcomes highlight the significance of the runoff, which will be a struggle to gain the support of Black voters.

Johnson showed hints of uniting liberals who backed other names in the nine-person field, naming each contender individually.

“If you voted for one of those other candidates, I want you to know that I’m running to be the mayor of you, too,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vallas tweeted that he is running to be a mayor for all of Chicago because “public safety is a human right and people in every neighborhood deserve to feel safe.”

…

Donald McEachin died from cancer on Monday

Edward Anderson on December 19, 2022

…

Donald McEachin, a Democratic Representative from Virginia, was pronounced dead by his office on Monday.

McEachin was 61 when he died.

The announcement

According to Tara Rountree, McEachin’s chief of staff, the Virginia Democrat has battled cancer since 2013.

“Valiantly for years now, we have watched him fight and triumph over the secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013,” said Rountree.

“Tonight, he lost that battle.”

Reelection

Donald McEachin won reelection earlier this month after defeating Republican opposition figure Leon Benjamin.

The Democrat, whose constituency is based in the state capital of Richmond, won 64% of the vote.

Additionally, McEachin was first elected to Congress in 2016 after services in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.

“We don’t do this for glory or fame,” the Democrat said on election night in early November.

“We do this because we like service.”

Donald McEachin was one of 213 Democrats elected to the next Congress to 220 Republicans.

However, two races are yet to be defined.

Special elections will decide McEachin’s replacement in the heavily Democratic district.

Furthermore, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has not yet set a date for the special election.

Cancer discussion

Donald McEachin opened up about his battle with cancer during a screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” two weeks ago.

“I can’t stress to you enough the importance of early detection,” said McEachin.

“I know many of you have watched my journey, and I’ve had a number of health issues.”

Tributes

Aston Donald McEachin was born in Nuremberg, Germany, on October 10, 1961.

McEachin’s father served in the military.

In his adulthood, Donald McEachin was a lawyer who graduated from the University of Virginia Law School.

In addition, he received his Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University.

Many paid their respects as news of Donald McEachin’s death began to spread.

Senator Mark Warner wrote a tribute to McEachin on Twitter, saying:

“Up until the very end, Don McEachin was a fighter. Even though he battled cancer and faced trials in recent years, he never lost focus on social and environmental justice.”

“Tonight, Virginia has lost a great leader and I have lost a great friend.”

Meanwhile, Senator Tim Kaine reminisced about his connection to McEachin.

“I met Donald McEachin in 1985 and we became fast friends,” he wrote in a statement.

“He was a gentle giant, a compassionate champion for underdogs, a climate warrior, a Christian example, an understanding dad, a proud husband, a loyal brother.”

McEachin’s congressional colleague from Virginia, Gerry Connolly, joined the tribute, describing him as “a noble friend, husband and father.”

“There was no better ally to have,” said Connolly. “I will miss him terribly.”

Reference:

Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin dies at 61

A conversation between President Joe Biden and Al Sharpton reveals plans of Biden running for reelections

Edward Anderson on October 4, 2022

Although it happened more than a month ago, reports surfaced that President Joe Biden had told Reverend Al Sharpton that he intended to pursue a second term.

In a private White House conversion, Biden informed the Reverend, and Sharpton briefed the National Action Network staff about him later that day.

According to a description of Sharpton’s story by a National Action Network official, Biden explained his plan to the pastor as he posed for a photo.

“I’m going to do it again,” Biden allegedly told Sharpton. “I’m going.”

Biden and re-election

For some time now, many of the president’s allies have argued that while Biden wants re-election, he has chosen not to declare it.

His decision to do so was to avoid triggering the campaign’s financial reporting.

However, Biden’s comments to Sharpton after meeting the leaders of several major civil rights organizations represent a strong idea that he will return to the vote.

2020

In 2020, black voters were instrumental in Biden’s return to the Democratic primary, giving him victory in the crucial contest in South Carolina after failing to finish first in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.

The overwhelming support from black voters three days later propelled Biden to a solid lead over delegates on Super Tuesday.

As part of the 2020 race, President Sharpton unveiled his plan during the Sept. 2 meeting at the White House.

During a group chat, Sharpton reminded the president that they were seated on the sidelines of an event commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 2019.

At the time, Biden did not declare his candidacy, seeking Sharpton’s endorsement or commitment to neutrality in an area now shared by Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

Biden then sought advice from Sharpton on the 2020 candidacy and avoided a final statement, which he would contest.

However, at the White House group meeting, Sharpton said the 2020 conversation convinced him that he was one of the first to hear of Biden running for office.

Confirmation and second run

After the civil rights meeting ended, Sharpton went to Biden for a solo photo.

At the time, President Joe Biden confirmed the Reverend was among the first to learn of his 2020 candidacy.

Sharpton told his aides that Biden confided in him that he would run for reelections.

Biden’s approval numbers

At the end of July, the RealClearPolitics poll average was just 36.8% in support of Biden.

Since then, the numbers have climbed to 52.1%, meaning he will not need an alternative Democratic candidate.

The last sitting president to refuse a second term was Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

Publicly, President Joe Biden has been cautious about what he says as his allies quietly prepare for a re-election campaign.

During 60 Minutes on CBS on September 18, more than two weeks after meeting with civil rights leaders, Biden said:

“Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again.”

“But it’s not just in intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”