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Home • Politics

Lori Lightfoot Sworn In As Chicago's First African-American And Openly Gay Female Mayor
Chicago mayor elect Lori Lightfoot speaks during the election night party in Chicago, Illinois on April 2, 2019. – In a historic first, a gay African American woman was elected mayor of America’s third largest city Tuesday, as Chicago voters entrusted a political novice with tackling difficult problems of economic inequality and gun violence. Lori Lightfoot, a 56-year-old former federal prosecutor and practicing lawyer who has never before held elected office, was elected the midwestern city’s mayor in a lopsided victory. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP) (Photo credit should read KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
By Yesha Callahan · Updated October 23, 2020

On Monday morning, Lori Lightfoot officially became the 56th mayor of Chicago, and the city’s first African-American and openly gay female mayor.

In Lightfoot’s inauguration speech, she noted that the city had just begun, when comes to revitalization, as well as curbing the gun violence that has plagued the city.

“In this moment, I can’t help but look at all of you and think about what lies ahead and what we can be together,” she said.

Lightfoot also weighed in on the fiscal issues that Chicago have faced over the last administration and said “we must tackle this problem head-on.”

“We have an outsize structural deficit, a persistent and growing pension debt, and other costs that that threatens our financial stability,” she said. “We are spending a significant percentage of every dollar just to service our pension debt alone and too much of that money is being sent to banks and Wall Street bond firms instead of going to our rebuild our neighborhoods, reduce our property taxes and revitalize our transportation system.” 

In attendance, was Lightfoot’s 90-year-old mother, as well as her wife and daughter.

View Lightfoot’s inauguration below.

TOPICS:  lightfoot inauguration lori lightfoot mayor lori lightfoot