Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is accused of damaging the democratic process and encouraging voter suppression after suggesting that South Side voters who don’t vote for her reelection shouldn’t vote in the race at all.
On the campaign stop in Grand Crossing over the weekend, Lightfoot said any South Side vote for “somebody not named Lightfoot is a vote for Chuy Garcia or Paul Vallas,”“If you want them controlling your fate and your destiny, then stay home,” she continued. “Then don’t vote.”
Calling out U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas by name, Lightfoot identified the two other frontrunners in this year’s mayoral race and her only Hispanic and white challengers. Lightfoot was speaking in a predominantly Black neighborhood before a group of mostly Black voters.Sign up for NBC Chicago newsletters.
After casting her vote Monday at Northeastern Illinois University, Lightfoot told reporters that she hadn’t meant to imply that people should not participate in elections. “If I said anything other than everybody everywhere needs to vote then I misspoke in the heat of a campaign rally,” she said. “But I’ve been very consistent all along saying everybody everywhere needs to step up, and they need to vote just as I said today.”
Many of Lightfoot’s opponents were vocal about their opposition to the comments, calling her suggestion “disqualifying” and “dangerous.”
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