Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, D, told South Side voters they shouldn’t vote in any respect in the event that they don’t vote to re-elect her, but she now insists that she misspoke throughout the heat of the moment.
During a campaign event over the weekend in Grand Crossing, the mayor said anyone from the South Side voting for “anyone not named Lightfoot is a vote for Chuy Garcia or Paul Vallas,” referring to her challengers.
U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas are the opposite frontrunners within the election for Chicago mayor.
“In case you want them controlling your fate and your destiny, then stay home,” Lightfoot continued. “Then don’t vote.”
But after casting her vote Monday at Northeastern Illinois University, Lightfoot told reporters she didn’t mean to suggest voters should sit out the election.
“If I said anything apart from everybody all over the place must vote, then I misspoke in the warmth of a campaign rally,” she said. “But I’ve been very consistent all along saying everybody all over the place must step up, they usually must vote just as I said today.”
Lightfoot’s initial comments, nevertheless, drew criticism from her mayoral opponents who accused her of damaging the democratic process.
“That is disqualifying rhetoric for anyone hoping to steer a Chicago that may be a multi-racial and multi-ethnic city,” Garcia said, in keeping with FOX 32.
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who can also be running to grow to be the following mayor of Chicago, said residents deserve “real leadership” and are able to “turn the page” with the election of a recent mayor.
“Lori Lightfoot telling residents to not vote unless they vote for her shows that she cares more about maintaining power for herself than empowering communities or getting things done for the people of our city,” he said.
One other challenger, philanthropist Willie Wilson, said Lightfoot’s words were “delusional, divisive, dangerous and disappointing.”
Activist Ja’Mal Green, one other mayoral candidate, wrote on Twitter that Lightfoot’s “desperation was showing.”
“I just showed this to a bus load of recent voters & the video made them more motivated than ever to vote against Lightfoot today,” he wrote.
