One day after declaring her candidacy for a second term as mayor of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was making campaign stops across the city.
Stephanie Hart, the owner of Brown Sugar Bakery, joyfully welcomed Lightfoot to the campaign stop at her business on East 75th Street. Hart gave the incumbent her wholehearted support.
When Lightfoot spoke to reporters at the bakery, she took issue with a headline that suggested her re-election bid is an uphill fight.
“I do not feel like it’s an uphill fight,” the mayor said. “The fact of the matter is, I’m a Black woman in America. People are betting against us every single day. We know we don’t have it easy. We know we’re viewed by a different lens, but that doesn’t mean we’re not ready for the fight.”
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“We are battle-tested. We are ready,” Lightfoot said. “I am excited about telling people all across this city the things that we’ve accomplished over these last three years for them."
At that stop in Grand Crossing, the mayor acknowledged that violent crime is the big issue for voters, and she reiterated her support for Chicago Police Supt. David Brown.
“David Brown has my full, thousand-percent faith and here’s why: He is an experienced national leader in law enforcement,” Lightfoot said. “What he has done is made sure that our policing strategy is centered on building better relationships with the community.”
Lightfoot stressed the importance of how the community views their police force.
“That’s critically important,” Lightfoot said, “Because if the police aren’t viewed with legitimacy in the eyes of the people that they serve, they will never be able to be successful."
Lightfoot argued that CPD is making progress, but she admits it’s “cold comfort” to people who don’t “feel safe.”
“We’re one of the few big cities in the country that has actually seen a decline in homicides, in shootings,” Lightfoot said. “So I’m gonna abandon ship in the middle of what we are doing? Absolutely not.”
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