CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A new book from Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt chronicles the brief, often difficult tenure of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Pratt, a Chicago native, had a front-row seat to Lightfoot’s four years in office and has now authored “The City is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis.”
“I think that, when we look back, we’re going to see one of the most critical four years in the history of Chicago,” he told WBBM. “I thought it was important to document it in detail so that people could understand what exactly happened — where we went wrong and where we went right — and we can take some lessons for future generations.”
Pratt described Lightfoot as “an unsuccessful mayor who did a lot of good things but also screwed up a lot of problems.”
“You don’t get rejected by 85% of your voters because you did a great job,” he said.
Lightfoot became the first openly gay Black woman to serve as mayor not only of Chicago, but of any major U.S. city, after she defeated Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the 2019 mayoral election.
Pratt said she was groundbreaking in some ways but failed at many things.
“She had some good ideas about equity,” he said. “She had good ideas about reforming the police department, but she wasn’t able to execute on any of them. She wasn’t able to just sit down and do the hard work.”
No matter who the mayor is, Pratt said the Lightfoot era could mark the start of a new period in Chicago.
“Traditionally, Chicago was led by a strong mayor for a long time, and we’re potentially entering an era of more turbulence in our politics,” he said. “We may or may not have the Harold Washingtons, the Daleys, the Rahm Emmanuels, the big personalities that dominate the stage.”
“The City is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis” will officially be released on April 2. It is available now online and at bookstores.
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