Who Is Lori Lightfoot? Meet The First African American Woman And Openly Gay Mayor

Chicago’s newly elected mayor has made history by being the first African-American woman and openly gay person to win the seat. Lightfoot beat residing mayor Toni Preckwinkle and will be sworn into office on May 20. Here’s everything we know about Chicago’s new mayor, Lightfoot.

1. Lightfoot is 56-years-old.
2. She was born in Massillon, Ohio, according to her campaign website.
3. She is the youngest of four children born to Elijah and Ann Lightfoot, her campaign website said
4. She is the first openly lesbian candidate to run for the mayoral seat in Chicago.
5. This is Lightfoot’s first campaign for political office.
6. Lightfoot graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree and full honors. She received her doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School, where she received a full scholarship, according to her campaign website.
7. She lives in the Logan Square neighborhood of Illinois and has lived in Chicago since 1986, the Chicago Tribune reported.
8. Prior to being elected to mayor, Lightfoot was a law partner at the Mayer Brown law firm. She left her position as she entered the race for mayor.
9. She served as the assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 1996 to 2002 and was also the chief administrator for the Chicago Police Department of Professional Standards from 2002 to 2004.
10. Lightfoot held the position of chief of staff and general counsel for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications from 2004 to 2005. She was also first-deputy procurement officer for the Chicago Department of Procurement Services in 2005.
11. Other positions that Lightfoot held include 2016 co-chair on the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force and 2015-2018 president of the Chicago Police Board.
12. Her campaign slogan is “Bring in the Light.”
13. Some of Lightfoot’s police stances include passing affordable housing ordinances in all wards and providing more funding to eliminate homelessness through real estate taxes. She also looks to increase hotel taxes to help fund the arts and eliminate red light cameras throughout the city.
14. She also supports eliminating police gang databases, immigration and customs enforcement, and elected positions for city treasurer and city clerk’s offices.
15. She also is looking to provide more opportunity in the city of Chicago regardless of “race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic status, or neighborhood.”
16. She has received a number of honors over her career including the Chicago Bar Association’s Earl B. Dickerson Award, The Common Cause Illinois Champion of Justice Award, The Chicago Inn of Court Donald Hubert Public Service Award, and The Chicago Federal Bar Association Walter J. Cummings Award.
17. Lightfoot is married to Amy Eshleman and shares a 10-year-old daughter with her partner, according to her campaign website.