The third largest city of America elected its first ever black, gay woman Mayor on Tuesday as Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle by a wide margin of 74 to 26 per cent in early voting results with most ballots counted.
Lightfoot will be replacing Rahm Emanuel in May as the Mayor of Chicago. Ms. Lightfoot who has never held an elective office is a 56 years old African-American former federal prosecutor. Her political novice image proved to be an asset for her in city with a history of corruption and insider dealings.
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“People are hoping for something different to come along. To be the vessel for that is overwhelming”, Ms. Lightfoot told reporters earlier after the polls opened.
The major challenges for Lightwood could be the handling of drug trade which ultimately leads to gunfight and economical inequality in the 2.7 billion people of Chicago. More than 550 lives were lost in Chicago last year due to gang violence often fueled by the drug trade.