Lightfoot is facing a re-election campaign against other frontrunners U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas.
It is a very crowded field and the incumbent, according to a recent poll, is languishing in third place.
As such, it appears she opted for a message of voter suppression to give her campaign the boost it needs.
Speaking at a “Get Out the Vote” rally this past weekend the mayor said, “Any vote coming from the South Side 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 added. “Then don’t vote.”
Lori Lightfoot – I Didn’t Mean It When I Said Don’t VoteAt South Side rally ft. Bobby Rush, Mayor Lightfoot reiterates, “Any vote coming from the South Side for somebody not named Lightfoot is a vote for Chuy Garcia or Paul Vallas. … If you want them controlling your destiny, then stay home. Then don't vote.” pic.twitter.com/3mQXta1Pvt
— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) February 18, 2023
Can you even imagine the 24/7 media outrage if a Republican politician told predominantly black voters to stay home and ‘don’t vote’ the way Lori Lightfoot did?
Fear not, however. The Chicago Democrat who sometimes moonlights as the superhero ‘Rona Destroyer,’ said she didn’t mean what we all heard her say.
“If I said anything other than everybody everywhere needs to vote, then I misspoke in the heat of a campaign rally,” she told reportersas she cast her own vote.
“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.”
Another Off the Cuff Remark
Lightfoot’s remarks had all the echoes of President Biden telling black voters that if they don’t vote for him, then “you ain’t black.”
But, as she checks off all the desired diversity boxes Democrats and the media are always on the lookout for, she likely won’t see much in the way of political backlash. Continue to full story here.
