Lori Lightfoot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lori Lightfoot
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Lightfoot in 2023
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| 56th Mayor of Chicago | |
| In office May 20, 2019 – May 15, 2023 |
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| Deputy | Tom Tunney |
| Preceded by | Rahm Emanuel |
| Succeeded by | Brandon Johnson |
| President of the Chicago Police Board | |
| In office May 2015 – May 2018 |
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| Appointed by | Rahm Emanuel |
| Preceded by | Demetrius Carney |
| Succeeded by | Ghian Foreman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lori Elaine Lightfoot
August 4, 1962 Massillon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Amy Eshleman
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Michigan (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked as a lawyer. She also held several government jobs in Chicago. She was the president of the Chicago Police Board. She also led the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force. In 2019, Lightfoot won the election for Chicago mayor. She ran for mayor again in 2023 but did not win. She was the first mayor since 1983 not to be reelected.
Lightfoot made history as the first openly lesbian Black woman to be mayor of a major U.S. city. She was also the second openly lesbian woman to lead one of the ten largest cities in the United States. She is the first Black woman and the second woman to serve as Chicago's mayor. She is also the third Black person to hold the office.
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Early Life and Education
Lightfoot was born in Massillon, Ohio. She was the youngest of four children. Her mother, Ann Lightfoot, worked in healthcare and on the school board. Her father, Elijah Lightfoot, worked in a factory and as a janitor. She grew up in a mostly white neighborhood.
She went to Washington High School in Massillon. There, she played the trumpet in the band and sang in the choir. She was also a point guard on the basketball team. She played volleyball and softball. She was the yearbook editor and a member of the Pep Club. She was elected high school class president three times. Her slogan was "Get on the right foot with Lightfoot." In 2013, her high school named her a "Distinguished Citizen." While in high school, Lightfoot helped organize a protest. It was about the poor quality of the school's pizza. The protest worked, and the school improved the pizza. She received detention for her actions.
Lightfoot earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan in 1984. She graduated with honors. She worked seven different jobs to pay for her education. These jobs included being a resident assistant and a cook for the school's football team. She also worked factory jobs during the summers.
Before law school, Lightfoot worked for Congress members Ralph Regula and Barbara Mikulski. She decided to go to law school because she wanted to be financially independent. She received a full scholarship to the University of Chicago Law School. She played on an intramural flag football team there. She also worked for Justice Charles Levin of the Michigan Supreme Court. She graduated with her Juris Doctor degree in 1989.
Career Journey
Working as a Lawyer
After law school, Lightfoot became a lawyer at the Mayer Brown law firm. She worked with many different clients. Later, she joined the public sector. She became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
In 2002, she was named chief administrator of the Chicago Police Department Office of Professional Standards. This group investigated police misconduct, including police shootings. She held this role for two years.
Lightfoot then worked for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Later, Mayor Richard M. Daley hired her as deputy chief of the Chicago Department of Procurement Services. She helped investigate corruption in the city. She left this role after a few months. She returned to Mayer Brown.
As a lawyer at Mayer Brown, she represented Republicans in cases about political boundaries. She also defended a Chicago police officer.
Leading the Police Board
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Lightfoot returned to public service in 2015. Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed her as president of the Chicago Police Board. This board recommends actions for police misconduct cases. Under her leadership, the board took stronger actions. They fired officers in 72% of their cases.
In 2017, Mayor Emanuel re-appointed her for a second term. This happened even though they had disagreed publicly. Lightfoot resigned from the Police Board in May 2018. Soon after, she announced her plan to run for mayor.
Running for Mayor in 2019
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On May 10, 2018, Lightfoot announced she would run for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 elections. This was her first time running for public office. She became the first openly LGBTQ mayor and the first Black female mayor of Chicago.
Lightfoot finished first in the February election. This was seen as a surprise. She was ahead of fourteen other candidates. Since no one won more than 50% of the votes, she and Toni Preckwinkle went to a runoff election.
Lightfoot won the runoff election on April 2, 2019. She became the mayor-elect of Chicago. She won over 73% of the votes. She won in all 50 areas of the city.
Mayor of Chicago
Lightfoot's time as mayor saw challenges with rising crime rates. She also faced disagreements with the Chicago City Council and the Chicago Teachers Union. The New York Times noted that she often made political rivals. However, she was praised for her work on affordable housing. She also worked to improve older parts of the city and raise the minimum wage.
Becoming Mayor
As mayor-elect, Lightfoot wanted the Laquan McDonald trial to be looked at again. She asked for a new investigation into possible civil rights violations.
She also reviewed a large agreement for a development project called Lincoln Yards. She had been critical of the process. At her request, Mayor Rahm Emanuel delayed city council votes on funding for Lincoln Yards and another project, The 78. After changes were made to hire more diverse contractors, Lightfoot supported the projects. They were then approved.
Inauguration Day
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On May 20, 2019, Lightfoot officially became Mayor of Chicago. She was sworn in by Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox. Her wife and daughter were with her.
When she took office, Lightfoot became the first openly LGBT Chicago mayor. She was also the first Black female Chicago mayor. She was the second female mayor (after Jane Byrne) and the third Black mayor (after Harold Washington and Eugene Sawyer).
Key Initiatives
Affordable Housing
In October 2019, Lightfoot announced a task force for affordable housing. This group would study ways to make housing more affordable. They aimed to address systemic racism in housing. They suggested new rules to prioritize fairness for all races. The COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays in these plans. However, many ideas were used later with federal relief funds.
In March 2020, Lightfoot named Tracey Scott as the new CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority.
City Casino
After new laws allowed more gambling in Illinois, Lightfoot began studying where a Chicago casino could be built. Previous mayors had also wanted a casino for the city. The state allowed a private casino, with the city getting a share of the tax money.
In May 2022, Lightfoot announced that Bally's Corporation would build a casino resort on the Chicago River.
Christopher Columbus Statue
In July 2020, Lightfoot ordered a statue of Christopher Columbus to be removed from Grant Park. This happened after protests where people tried to pull down the statue.
City Council Changes
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Lightfoot's first executive order limited "aldermanic prerogative." This was a practice where Chicago aldermen had a lot of power over decisions in their areas.
In May 2019, she proposed new rules for the Chicago City Council. These included live streaming committee meetings. She also suggested changes to prevent conflicts of interest.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Lightfoot took many steps to control the outbreak in Chicago. In March 2020, she worked with Governor J. B. Pritzker to postpone Saint Patrick's Day events. This included parades and the dyeing of the Chicago River.
She also ordered businesses selling alcohol to limit their capacity. Events with more than 1,000 people were banned for 30 days.
On March 20, 2020, Lightfoot extended Chicago Public School closures. The Chicago Department of Health also issued an order. It said that people with COVID-19 symptoms should stay home.
Lightfoot banned contact sport and closed city parks and beaches. This was because people were gathering in public places despite stay-at-home orders.
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Her team worked with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. They set up a temporary hospital at McCormick Place.
In early April, Lightfoot worked with Chicago's sports teams. They launched the "We Are Not Playing" campaign.
She also signed an order to ensure that undocumented immigrants could receive city benefits. In April, she set a curfew on liquor sales. This was to reduce gatherings outside stores.
Lightfoot helped enforce the state's stay-at-home order. She personally patrolled the city and spoke to people who were not following the rules. Memes about Lightfoot became popular online during this time.
In November 2020, Lightfoot issued new restrictions. This included a stay-at-home advisory.
Education Initiatives
On June 3, 2019, Lightfoot announced her choices for the Chicago Board of Education. She appointed Miguel del Valle as its president. She also kept Janice K. Jackson as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
In October 2019, Lightfoot dealt with a public schools strike. It was led by the Chicago Teachers Union.
Lightfoot supported having an elected Chicago school board. However, she did not agree with a state law that would create a very large 21-member board. Despite her objections, Governor J. B. Pritzker signed this law in July 2021.
In June 2021, Lightfoot named José Torres as interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools. In September 2021, she announced Pedro Martinez would be the new permanent CEO.
Financial Matters
On November 23, 2019, the Chicago City Council approved Lightfoot's plan. It would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021. This did not include restaurant servers.
She also proposed a new graduated transfer tax for commercial real estate sales. This would collect more money from large property sales. It would also give a tax break for smaller sales.
On November 26, 2019, the City Council approved Lightfoot's budget for 2020.
Universal Basic Income Pilot
In February 2022, Lightfoot announced a new program. Chicago residents could apply for a $500-per-month basic income pilot program. This program was for residents who faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It offered 5,000 participants $500 monthly payments for one year. To qualify, applicants had to live in Chicago, be at least 18, and have a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. It was the largest universal basic income pilot program in the U.S. at that time.
2023 Mayoral Campaign
In the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, nine candidates ran. Polls showed that Lightfoot might not win re-election. The main challengers were U.S. Representative Chuy García, Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, and businessman Willie Wilson.
Lightfoot faced some criticism during her campaign. She offered school credit to students who interned for her campaign. She also told South Side residents to vote for her or not vote at all.
On February 28, 2023, Lightfoot finished third among the nine candidates. She did not qualify for the runoff election. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson advanced to the runoff. Johnson won the runoff election on April 4, 2023.
Post-Mayoral Career
After her term as mayor ended, Lightfoot began teaching. She teaches a course called "Health Policy and Leadership" at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
National Politics
On March 6, 2020, Lightfoot supported Joe Biden's campaign for president. This was before the 2020 Illinois Democratic presidential primary.
Lightfoot appeared in a video at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The video also featured Joe Biden and other leaders.
Lightfoot was an elector for Illinois in 2020. She cast her votes for Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president.
Personal Life
Lightfoot lives in the Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago. On May 31, 2014, she married Amy Eshleman. Amy Eshleman used to work for the Chicago Public Library. She is now a full-time mother to their adopted daughter.
Lightfoot has been a season ticket holder for the Chicago Bears for 20 years. She also has season tickets for the Chicago White Sox. She is a season ticket holder for the WNBA's Chicago Sky.
Lightfoot appeared in a TV mini-series called The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth.
She is a founding trustee at Christ the King Jesuit High School in Chicago. She is also a member of St. James AME Zion Church.
During some of her years as a partner at Mayer Brown, Lightfoot earned about $1 million each year.
Awards and Honors
In June 2019, Lightfoot was chosen as one of the grand marshals for the Chicago Pride Parade.
In June 2020, Queerty named her one of fifty heroes. This was in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade. These heroes were recognized for "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people."
In October 2020, Lightfoot received the NMQF Honorable John Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was given by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF).
Images for kids
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Lightfoot in 2023
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Lightfoot speaking at the release of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force's report in 2016
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One of Lightfoot's mayoral campaign signs, featuring her slogan "Bring in the Light"
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Mayor-elect Lightfoot meeting with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi on May 7, 2019
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Mayor-elect Lightfoot meeting with Ivanka Trump, Daughter of then-President of the United States Donald Trump, on May 7, 2019
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Lightfoot joined by her family and Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox at her inauguration
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Lightfoot with First Lady Jill Biden in 2022
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Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick's Day 2021
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Under Lightfoot, Chicago launched a campaign urging residents to follow Illinois' stay-at-home order.
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Members of the Illinois Air National Guard work to convert McCormick Place into a makeshift hospital
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Lightfoot inspects the temporary hospital facility being erected at McCormick Place in April 2020
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Advertising for Lightfoot's 2019 mayoral campaign
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Lightfoot leading the 2019 Chicago Pride Parade
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
- List of the first LGBT holders of political offices in the United States
