Lori Lightfoot

Lori Lightfoot
Born	Lori Elaine Lightfoot 4 8, 1962
Birthplace	Massillon, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Known for	56th Mayor of Chicago; first Black woman and first LGBTQ person to serve as mayor of Chicago
Education	University of Michigan (BA) University of Chicago Law School (JD)
Children	1

Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 56th Mayor of Chicago from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Lightfoot made history as the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to serve as mayor of Chicago, and was the second woman overall to hold the office, after Jane Byrne. Before entering electoral politics, Lightfoot had a lengthy career in law, serving as a federal prosecutor in the Northern District of Illinois and later as a partner at the international law firm Mayer Brown. She also served in several oversight roles in Chicago city government, most notably as president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force, both appointments made by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In the 2019 mayoral election, Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a historic landslide, winning all 50 of the city's wards in the runoff. Her tenure as mayor was defined by both significant policy initiatives—including increases to Chicago's minimum wage and investments in affordable housing—and considerable controversy, particularly regarding rising crime rates and her management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lightfoot ran for reelection in 2023 but failed to advance to the runoff, becoming the first Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid in 40 years. After leaving office, she has remained active in public life, including launching an ICE Accountability Project in early 2026.

Early Life

Lori Elaine Lightfoot was born on August 4, 1962, in Massillon, Ohio, a small city in Stark County. She grew up in a working-class family in the industrial city, which had a population of roughly 30,000 at the time. Lightfoot was the youngest of four children in her family.

Lightfoot attended Massillon Washington High School, where she was an active student. The Massillon Washington High School Alumni Association later recognized her as one of its distinguished citizens. Growing up in Massillon, Lightfoot developed an early awareness of issues of race and inequality, experiences that would inform her later career in law and public service.

After graduating from high school, Lightfoot left Ohio to pursue higher education, eventually moving to the Midwest's largest city, Chicago, where she would build her professional career and political life.

Education

Lightfoot earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She then attended the University of Chicago Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Her legal education at the University of Chicago provided the foundation for a career that would span federal prosecution, private practice at elite law firms, and public service in municipal governance.

Career

Legal Career

After completing law school, Lightfoot began her legal career as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, where she worked as a federal prosecutor. In this role, she handled a range of federal cases, gaining experience in prosecution and courtroom litigation.

Lightfoot subsequently entered private practice, joining the international law firm Mayer Brown, where she eventually rose to the position of partner. At Mayer Brown, one of the largest law firms in the world, Lightfoot worked on complex litigation matters. Her career in both the public and private sectors of law established her reputation as a skilled attorney with experience in government and corporate settings.

In addition to her work at Mayer Brown, Lightfoot held various positions in Chicago city government prior to running for mayor. These appointments placed her at the intersection of law enforcement, municipal governance, and police accountability—a nexus that would come to define the next phase of her career.

Chicago Police Board and Accountability Work

In 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Lightfoot as president of the Chicago Police Board, a civilian body responsible for adjudicating misconduct cases involving Chicago police officers. She succeeded Demetrius Carney in the role and served until May 2018, when she stepped down to prepare for her mayoral campaign.

Emanuel also appointed Lightfoot to chair the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force, which was created in the wake of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and the ensuing public outcry over police violence and cover-ups within the Chicago Police Department. The Task Force was charged with investigating systemic problems within the department and recommending reforms. The group's final report detailed widespread failures in accountability, training, and oversight within the CPD, and it offered a series of recommendations for reform.

Lightfoot's role on the Task Force and the Police Board drew both praise and criticism. Some community organizations, including BYP100's Chicago chapter, raised concerns about the Task Force's relationship to the Emanuel administration and questioned whether a mayor-appointed body could deliver truly independent recommendations for police reform.

One notable case during Lightfoot's tenure on the Police Board involved the Christina Eilman case, a decade-old incident in which a mentally ill woman was released from police custody and subsequently fell from a seventh-floor window, leaving her permanently disabled. The case drew renewed public attention and scrutiny of police procedures regarding individuals in mental health crises.

Lightfoot's tenure also included public disagreements with Mayor Emanuel on matters of police oversight. In 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported on tensions between Lightfoot and the Emanuel administration over the scope and independence of police accountability measures.

2019 Mayoral Campaign

In 2018, Lightfoot announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago, entering a crowded field of candidates following Rahm Emanuel's decision not to seek reelection. At the time of her entry into the race, Lightfoot was a resident of the Logan Square neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side.

Lightfoot positioned herself as a reform candidate, running on a platform of police accountability, government transparency, and addressing the deep economic and racial inequities that had long defined Chicago politics. Her candidacy was notable in a field that included several women of color, a development that Mother Jones described as reflecting a broader shift in Chicago's political landscape following the Emanuel era.

Early polling suggested that Lightfoot faced an uphill battle in the crowded field. A "We Ask America" poll conducted during the race showed multiple candidates competing for support, with no single candidate commanding a majority. A Sun-Times analysis examined whether Lightfoot had a viable path to victory in such a crowded contest.

During the campaign, Lightfoot's candidacy also faced a ballot petition challenge, a common tactic in Chicago politics, though the challenge was ultimately unsuccessful.

Lightfoot advanced to the April 2019 runoff election against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. In the runoff, she secured major endorsements. The Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsed Lightfoot, citing her reform credentials and independence from the city's entrenched political machine. The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board also endorsed Lightfoot over Preckwinkle in the runoff. Businessman Willie Wilson, who had been eliminated in the first round, also endorsed Lightfoot.

Lightfoot won the runoff election in a landslide, defeating Preckwinkle and carrying all 50 of Chicago's wards—an unprecedented result in modern Chicago politics. Her victory made her the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected mayor of Chicago. She was also the second openly lesbian woman to serve as mayor of one of the ten most populous cities in the United States.

Tenure as Mayor (2019–2023)

Lightfoot was inaugurated as the 56th Mayor of Chicago on May 20, 2019, succeeding Rahm Emanuel. Her term was marked by a series of significant policy initiatives as well as persistent challenges and controversies.

Policy Initiatives

As mayor, Lightfoot pursued several policy priorities. She increased Chicago's minimum wage, a move aimed at addressing income inequality in the city. She also invested in affordable housing programs and sought to direct city resources toward revitalizing neighborhoods on the South and West sides of Chicago that had experienced decades of disinvestment and blight. These efforts reflected a central theme of her campaign platform: addressing the deep economic and racial disparities that characterized the city.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Lightfoot's tenure coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented an enormous governance challenge for the city. Chicago, like other major American cities, faced public health emergencies, economic disruption, and social unrest during the pandemic. Lightfoot's handling of the crisis drew mixed reactions; she implemented stay-at-home orders and restrictions on businesses and public gatherings, which some residents and business owners criticized as too restrictive. Her administration's pandemic response became a recurring point of contention throughout the remainder of her time in office.

Crime and Public Safety

One of the most persistent challenges of Lightfoot's mayoralty was the issue of public safety. Chicago experienced rising rates of violent crime during her tenure, including increases in homicides and shootings. The issue of crime dominated public discourse and became a focal point for criticism of Lightfoot's administration. Despite her background in police oversight and accountability, Lightfoot faced difficulties in balancing calls for police reform with demands for more robust law enforcement responses to violence.

2023 Reelection Campaign

Lightfoot sought reelection in the February 2023 mayoral election. However, she failed to advance to the runoff, finishing third in a field of candidates. Her defeat made her the first sitting Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid in 40 years. She was succeeded by Brandon Johnson, who won the subsequent runoff election and took office on May 15, 2023.

Post-Mayoral Activities

After leaving the mayor's office, Lightfoot returned to practicing law and remained engaged in public advocacy. In January 2026, she launched the ICE Accountability Project, an initiative designed to collect and vet reports of alleged wrongdoing by federal immigration agents. According to reporting by Block Club Chicago, the project's goal was to document abuses on a dedicated website and potentially support future legal proceedings, including those involving grand juries. Lightfoot described the project as an effort to encourage local officials to take a more active role in holding federal immigration enforcement accountable.

In February 2026, Lightfoot published a personal essay in the Chicago Tribune reflecting on her relationship with the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, describing him as a mentor and public conscience who challenged her to "think bigger" during her time leading the Chicago Police Board and as mayor.

In January 2026, the Chicago Tribune reported that Lightfoot had been sued by JPMorgan Chase Bank for allegedly failing to pay approximately $11,000 in credit card debt. According to the report, Lightfoot was served at her Chicago home in October 2025 with the lawsuit.

Personal Life

Lightfoot is openly gay, a fact that was central to the historic nature of her 2019 mayoral election. She has one child. At the time of her mayoral campaign, Lightfoot resided in the Logan Square neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side.

Lightfoot has spoken publicly about the influence of Rev. Jesse Jackson on her life and career, describing him in a 2026 Chicago Tribune essay as someone who served as both a mentor and a moral compass, pushing her and other leaders to confront systemic injustice.

Recognition

Lightfoot's election as mayor of Chicago in 2019 was recognized as a historic milestone. She was the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to serve as mayor of Chicago, and the second openly lesbian woman to serve as mayor of one of the ten most populous cities in the United States. Her sweeping victory in all 50 wards during the 2019 runoff was noted as unprecedented in modern Chicago electoral history.

The Massillon Washington High School Alumni Association recognized Lightfoot as a distinguished citizen, honoring her achievements since graduating from the school in her hometown of Massillon, Ohio.

Both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Lightfoot in the 2019 runoff election, with the Tribune editorial board highlighting her reform credentials and her independence from the city's established political structures.

Legacy

Lightfoot's single term as mayor of Chicago is notable both for its historic firsts and for its turbulent character. Her election shattered multiple barriers: she became the first Black woman and first openly LGBTQ person to lead one of the largest cities in the United States, at a time when representation in American municipal government was an increasingly prominent issue.

Her pre-mayoral work on the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force and the Chicago Police Board placed issues of police reform and accountability at the center of her political identity. The Task Force's report on systemic failures within the Chicago Police Department contributed to a broader national conversation about policing in American cities.

As mayor, Lightfoot's efforts to raise the minimum wage and invest in underserved neighborhoods reflected her stated commitment to economic equity. However, her tenure was also defined by the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent issues of violent crime, which eroded public confidence in her administration and ultimately contributed to her defeat in the 2023 election.

After leaving office, Lightfoot's continued engagement in public life—particularly through the ICE Accountability Project launched in 2026—has extended her role as a public voice on issues of government accountability and civil rights.