So, now the midterms are over, we can get down to the actual race. The real national race is between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker in Georgia. The race is between the Democratic, intellectual, moral minister and the football player, a Republican who waited for his girlfriend in the parking lot to complete an abortion. Both candidates are Black but miles apart in their moral stance and political posture. Two distinctive Black males. The race will be impactful because it will determine what party controls the Senate.
The Chicago Race…
And there is the local race at home. Who will be the next mayor of Chicago? Our politics can be confusing, especially when so many candidates are running. To date, the political playing field is busy with newcomers, old comers, reruns, pop-ups, and dropouts. And, of course, there is the incumbent. The signed petitions have to be turned in this November. And then it is on full throttle with the Christmas holiday mixed in. The mayor has begun her commercials, as has Willie Wilson. Surely the others will add to the TV commercial circus.
I predict Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be the winner of the immediate race. Why? Because as much as she is scorned for the city’s problems, she appears to be the only one who can muster a city-wide vote. Will she be in a runoff? The answer is yes. But who will take her to the runoff is the question. And the heads-up runoff race is yet another race to be reckoned with.
For now, here’s a pundit’s look at the candidates.
Willie Wilson is on his third run. His private polls suggest he has a chance. He is the Robin Hood candidate with giveaways of food and gas. What will Santa Willie bring for Christmas? In the last election, he won 13 of the 18 wards among the dominant Black wards. He is the best-funded candidate, for 2023 with independent dollars.
However, Willie has a real issue communicating. For some, this is a real problem. I can’t believe Chicago would elect a mayor who is not understood. Also, he voted for Donald Trump. Really. Willie won’t be the winner of the race, but he could be a real influencer. I predict he will get no more than 15% of the vote. He could be the kingmaker.
State Representative Kam Bucker is a young state representative who heads up the Illinois Black Caucus. He was the first candidate to address Lightfoot and her combative style of politics. He is new to a city-wide office. He is too green to win, but he has his foot in the race and will make a name for himself in a future race. He is a fresh face with driving issues.
Paul Vallas won just over 5% of the vote in 2019. Paul is a financial genius but far too much of a geek to appeal to the masses. He is a hard worker but can’t campaign well enough to surface as the people’s choice. He has solutions to city problems, but his voter appeal factor is too low to win the race. He has lost too many times in previous elections and has been branded a loser. The debates could provide an actual shot in the arm for him if he speaks in plain language.
Roderick Sawyer seeks to follow his father’s path. He has been Alderman of the 6th Ward for eleven years. He, too, has spoken to Lightfoot’s abrasive attitude. He has been the chair of the Black Caucus and has assumed leadership roles as a councilman. His challenge is to get white votes north of 12th Street. How well-known is he outside of his 6th Ward?
Ja’Mal Green is the youngest candidate and continues to run, missing the ballot. He has good ideas but is too green to execute them. He has been a steward of economic development, challenging Chase bank to invest on the South and West sides. He created a wild rumor on social media with fake news about Lightfoot resigning. His credibility and trust factor were at stake. He is too green for the 5th floor at this time.
Alderman Sophia King is the Alderman of the 4th Ward. She was appointed by Mayor Emanuel in 2016 and has maintained the seat. She is aggressive with novel ideas. She is responsible for major street name changes. For example, she renamed Congress Parkway, Ida B. Wells Drive and supported the name change for Lake Shore Drive to John Baptiste Pointe DuSable Drive. She is friendly with the Barrack-Obama camp. She has been controversial in her ward as House Museums have entered the community. Her challenge is the same as Sawyer’s. Can she get votes north of Roosevelt Road? Is she a city-wide candidate?
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson entered the race with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union and has been working for the last year behind the scenes aiming for the fifth floor. Rumored speculation suggests that he is the candidate of choice by powerhouse Toni Preckwinkle. His campaign is well-financed, and he represents the city’s progressives. He could be the crossover candidate if he can raise his name recognition. He is the candidate to watch.
Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia runs again as a well-seasoned politico. His history is linked with the late Mayor Harold Washington, who was part of Harold’s coalition. His record includes forcing former Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a run-off. He might do the same in the Lightfoot era. His challenge is to get White and Black votes as he pursues his quest to become Chicago’s first Latino mayor. He will make the proper rounds and touch the decision-makers, but can he do it? The voter decision is pending. Nevertheless, he is well-positioned for an upset.
And last but not least, the incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Lori is the one to beat, and her historical track record shows she won all of the city wards as a vote-getter. She has an appeal and is the first lesbian African American mayor in the country. Chicago’s crime is her number one issue.
Lightfoot has fought the pandemic and watches closely the pandemic that could be forthcoming. She has dedicated and allocated significant dollars to rebuild the most neglected communities on the South and West sides. She is the first mayor to do so consciously. But these are long-term plans without the benefit of immediacy.
The O’Hare Airport, CTA Red line extension, and One Central build-out are big projects of hers on the table that will change the face of the city. If she loses the Bears at Solider’s Field, it will have a negative impact. She has moved controversial statues around the city.
The mayor’s biggest problem is not her deeds but her style. Sometimes her anger gets in the way of her brilliance. She has done revolutionary things for the city and won’t get immediate credit for much of it. She HAS to solve the crime problem; it’s the city’s number one issue. She is the mayor to do the heavy lifting in rebuilding the city. Chicago’s Downtown and the Magnificent Mile desperately require new retail stores as the municipality considers rebuilding. LaSalle Street Financial District is being deemed for housing, and the race car NASCAR on July 4th is innovative thinking. I predict that a silent vote decision-maker is the Bears football team leaving the city. She will be blamed. Her TV commercials have started; they are cute and witty but need to be more serious in addressing the city’s serious problems. She is a shrewd political player.
There is no consensus candidate among the challengers. So, we will have to wait to hear the debates and the discussion on the city’s actual problems. Debates and public talks will take on a new role. For the first time, major newspapers in Chicago will not endorse mayoral candidates. So, the people are on their very own.
The race is on.
