Chicago Ald. Sophia King jumped into the increasingly-crowded mayoral field this week, saying that she is seeking to run as someone who can unite different constituencies in the city, something she says Mayor Lori Lightfoot has failed to do.
King, who represents Chicago’s 4th Ward and is the chairman of the City Council’s progressive caucus, says that she is running to build bridges with those she says Lightfoot has alienated with her tactics as mayor.
“I don’t think this administration has the support of major constituencies in the city, the teachers, the police, the business community,” she said.
King says that she would make addressing concerns about crime a priority, and didn’t steer away from criticisms of Police Supt. David Brown.
“He made a mistake taking the police out of neighborhoods and putting them downtown,” she said. “We need to hold criminals accountable, but we also need to uplift our police and hold them accountable too.”
Lightfoot’s leadership style also was criticized by King, who pointed to the deal the mayor’s office struck with NASCAR to put on a race through the streets of downtown Chicago next summer.
“It’s a bad deal,” she said. “How can you even move forward with a huge event like that without consulting with the aldermen who are around there.”
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The mayor has been blasted for her handling of the deal, with several key members of the City Council saying that she did not consult with them about the contract before agreeing to the three-year pact with the racing circuit.
According to NBC 5 Investigates, NASCAR will pay the city $2 per ticket sold, and will pay them a percentage of the commission on food and beverage sales. NASCAR will also pay a permit fee of $500,000 for the 2023 event.
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Ald. Brian Hopkins says that the annual Lollapalooza festival in downtown brings in $6 million in permit fees to the city, and takes up Grant Park for a week during the summer.
NASCAR, meanwhile, will contractually be allowed to close Grant Park west of the Buckingham Fountain for up to 21 days prior to the race and then 10 days afterward. The staging window will be nine days prior to the race for road closures of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive and Congress Park Drive, according to the disclosures.
A potential key campaign strategy for King could be attracting high-profile endorsements, as she is close to both Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who lost to Lightfoot in the 2019 runoff, and former President Barack Obama.
“I’m going to call on support from all over the city,” she said. “I have certainly talked about this with (Preckwinkle).”
King’s entry into the race comes as rumors swirl around a potential run from Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, who lost a runoff election to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015.
García stayed out of the 2019 free-for-all to replace Emanuel, but has not yet ruled out a run even if he wins his reelection bid to Congress this fall.
King says she hopes to earn García’s support in the race.
“Chuy jumping into the race would change the landscape,” she said. “I’ve reached out to Chuy, and I hope to have his support as well.”
