Lori Lightfoot

Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American politician and attorney who was the 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 until 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first Black woman and first LGBTQ person to serve as mayor of Chicago. Lightfoot was the second woman (after Jane Byrne) and the third Black person overall to hold the office. She was also the second openly lesbian woman to serve as mayor of one of the 10 most populous cities in the United States. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, Lightfoot first worked as an attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and, later, as a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown. She also held positions in Chicago government prior to serving as mayor. Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Lightfoot was the president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force. In these roles, she was tasked with helping oversee misconduct cases in the Chicago Police Department. Lightfoot ran successfully for mayor of Chicago in 2019. Advancing to the runoff, she defeated Toni Preckwinkle easily, winning in all 50 of the city's wards. As mayor, Lightfoot increased Chicago's minimum wage, worked to build affordable housing, and sought to revitalize blighted areas of the city. However, her tenure was also marked by controversy and low public approval. She notably faced criticism over Chicago's rising crime rates, vaccine mandates and overall handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lightfoot ran for reelection in 2023, but failed to qualify for the runoff. She became the first Chicago mayor to lose reelection in 40 years.