Twitter Reacts To Lori Lightfoot Being Elected Mayor Of Chicago

Lori Lightfoot has officially been elected as the next mayor of Chicago, according to the Associated Press. She is the first Black woman and LGBT person to be elected as mayor of the Windy City. SEE ALSO: Some No Name, Pitchy R&B Singer Disrespected Keith Sweat And Gets Demolished On Twitter After she and opponent Toni Preckwinkle were sent to a runoff election following a tight contest in February, Lightfoot captured more than 74 percent of the votes Tuesday night.

Lightfoot had two Black mayoral predecessors.

“Lightfoot becomes the third African-American to serve as mayor, The Chicago Tribune reminded readers. “Harold Washington was elected in 1983 as the city’s first black mayor and won re-election in 1987 before dying in officer later that year. Eugene Sawyer, the city’s second black mayor, was appointed to serve out Washington’s term until a 1989 special election.” While some voices across social media said Lightfoot would bring the change Chicago needs, others have said she would simply continue the not-so-flattering legacy of outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been under heavy scrutiny on his way out of office after choose against seeking reelection. See the tweet below from political commentator and activist Ameshia Cross.

Back in February, according to the Board of Election Commissioners for Chicago, Lightfoot won 17.48% of the vote and Preckwinkle had 15.96%, which meant there would be a runoff election. Lightfoot is a former federal prosecutor who has specifically said she wants to separate herself from the city’s reputation for political corruption. “I am an independent reform candidate. I do not represent the past. I am not tied to the broken political machine,” she told ABC News. “I didn’t aspire to climb the ranks of the Cook County Democratic Party to be the party boss. I am not affiliated with Ed Burke, or Joe Berrios or anyone else who really represents the old corrupt Chicago way.” Lightfoot stands behind Democratic policies like a $15 minimum wage and legalizing marijuana. She also claimed to be for massive police reform but has been accused of giving “a personal loyalty oath to Rahm Emanuel,” which she has denied. While only time will tell how Lightfoot’s mayoral legacy plays out, not everybody seemed to be pleased with her election. See an assortment of the mixed reactions on social media below in response to Lightfoot’s historic win.