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CHICAGO — On the last day before Chicago’s mayoral runoff election, the two remaining candidates are both pushing to get out the vote, and encouraging residents to choose between two different messages.
Frontrunner Lori Lightfoot was at the Garfield Red Line Station on Monday morning greeting commuters. She then crisscrossed the city, encouraging as many people as possible to get to the polls Tuesday.
Lightfoot, a former prosecutor and head of the police oversight board, is positioning herself as the anti-machine candidate, promising change and more transparency in Chicago government.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is highlighting her long resume in local politics. She said the mayor’s office should not be an entry-level position, poking at Lightfoot’s lack of administrative experience.
Secretary of State Jesse White accompanied Preckwinkle on Sunday as she visited churches in primarily black and Hispanic neighborhoods. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis encouraged West Side residents to vote for Preckwinkle.
Lightfoot leads in the most recent poll, an incredible feat for a first-time candidate facing a seasoned political heavyweight.
The Board of Elections is expecting a higher turnout than that generated by February’s primary. As of Sunday night, just under 105,000 people had cast early ballots.
Polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Either candidate will make history as the city’s first black female mayor. Both have agreed to take part in a joint event with the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday morning.
