quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

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Originally posted by stoic-one:
Both of the 2 currently in the lead are farther left than she is, I'm glad she's gone, but I wonder what the city is going to be in for now?....

Not sure where you got that "farther left" from. I don't know anything about Chicago politics, but a quick glance at Wiki on Vallas' 2023 Chicago mayoral candidacy would dispute that claim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Vallas

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In June 2022, Vallas announced his candidacy for mayor again in the 2023 election, challenging incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot.[52] Vallas has been a critic of the Lightfoot administration over what he characterizes as her lack of accountability in the rise of crime and violence in the city.[53]

Vallas's campaign staff includes a number of nationally prominent consultants, including Joe Trippi as its senior strategist and media advisor[54] Vallas's campaign also employs pollster Mark Mellman.[55]

The month that he launched his campaign, Vallas appeared at a fundraising event for Awake IL, a political not-for-profit that has been criticized for its anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.[56] In August 2022, Vallas condemned the group saying "I am a lifelong Democrat who has spent my entire adult life fighting hateful rhetorical and hateful groups."[57] His claim of being a "lifelong Democrat" was called into question by some, who pointed to campaign contributions from prominent Republican donor Michael Keiser and Chicago Board of Elections records listing Vallas as having voted in the 2022 Republican Party primary election.[58] The Chicago Board of Elections later told reporters that Vallas had not voted in the Republican primary, and records that showed him as having done so were due to a "coding error."[59]

Vallas has centered his candidacy on the issue of crime. Vallas has also promised that he would extend both the length of the school day and the school year. He has also pledged that he would give "100% choice" to parents as to what schools their children attend.[60]

Vallas is the only white, non-Hispanic candidate on the ballot in the 2023 mayoral election. Seven of the other candidates are Black, while one is Latino. Edward Robert McClelland of Chicago magazine remarked that his being the sole White candidate means that, unlike in the 2019 mayoral election, "[Vallas] doesn't have to share that constituency with Bill Daley, Jerry Joyce, or Garry McCarthy." McClelland also regarded Vallas to be running as a police-friendly candidate.[61] Similarly, Justin Kaufman of Axios opined that Vallas is "the candidate most likely to court the police and firefighter vote."[62] Vallas received the endorsement of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) lodge, which serves as the city's police union.[63]

Many view Vallas as being either a conservative or politically moderate candidate.[64][65] He has been characterized as conservative compared to other candidates running for mayor.[66] He has received significant campaign donations from sources considered politically conservative.[67] Lightfoot and fellow candidate Chuy García have sought to cast Vallas as aligned with the Republican Party.[64][68] During the campaign, Lightfoot has characterized Vallas as being her most conservative challenger.[60] Lightfoot and García both have accused Vallas of being inadequately pro-choice, despite Vallas having a past record of claiming to be pro-choice and past endorsements from Planned Parenthood and Personal PAC during his 2002 gubernatorial and 2014 lieutenant gubernatorial campaigns.[68][69] They have pointed to a 2009 interview in which Vallas declared himself to be "more of a Republican than a Democrat because, fundamentally, I oppose abortion",[69] and stated that "if I were to run for office again, I would run as a Republican".[70] Another line of attack for Lightfoot and García has been Vallas's relationship with and endorsement from the city's police union. Lightfoot has characterized Vallas's FOP endorsement as undermining Vallas's claim to have been a "lifelong Democrat". García has cast Vallas's closeness to the FOP as indicating that there would be "no police accountability" under a Vallas mayoralty. García has also derided the police union as being "far right".[71]

Not saying Vallas will be a far right conservative, but he cannot be any worse than Lightfoot. Would like to hear what Chicago members have to say.

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Originally posted by 12131:
Well, that's a shame. Where's Jerry??

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Originally posted by Jimmo952:
Lightfoot was anti-police and hesitant to do anything to put a dent in African-American crime.

She was also a poor administrator and way over her head trying to run a city as large and complicated as Chicago.

It's hard to imagine Vallas being worse.

Garcia would be tougher on crime.

An incumbent mayor losing so badly speaks volumes.

For real change to occur though, Kim Fox will also have to go.

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Originally posted by Bulldog7972:

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Originally posted by Jimmo952:
Lightfoot was anti-police and hesitant to do anything to put a dent in African-American crime.

She was also a poor administrator and way over her head trying to run a city as large and complicated as Chicago.

It's hard to imagine Vallas being worse.

Garcia would be tougher on crime.

An incumbent mayor losing so badly speaks volumes.

For real change to occur though, Kim Fox will also have to go.

The same Garcia that used gangsters as campaign workers? That Garcia? Tougher on crime? I don’t think so.

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Originally posted by Bulldog7972:

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Originally posted by stoic-one:
Both of the 2 currently in the lead are farther left than she is, I'm glad she's gone, but I wonder what the city is going to be in for now?....

Not sure who you are referring to but Vallas is not by any means a Leftist. The other guy however is and could actually be worse than Lightfoot. And he could win.

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Originally posted by oddball: