What to Know
- Kelly is the fourth member of Congress to make an endorsement in the 2019 mayoral race
- Preckwinkle, Daley, and Wilson have all picked up endorsements in the race, which culminates in the Feb. 26 election
Chicago mayoral hopeful Lori Lightfoot became the latest candidate to secure a congressional endorsement on Thursday, as Rep. Robin Kelly has now officially backed her candidacy.
Kelly and Lightfoot announced the endorsement during an event at South Shore Brew on Thursday morning, standing under a beaming portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama as they talked about their eagerness to get things done in the city of Chicago.
“If I’m honored to be the next mayor of the city of Chicago, I’m going to be drawing on the expertise of Robin and her colleagues in the Congressional delegation to make sure we have a Chicago-focused agenda in Washington, D.C.,” Lightfoot said. “The opportunities for partnership are exponentially vast.”
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Kelly, who represents parts of the South Side and the south suburbs in Illinois’ 2nd District, has made addressing gun violence a priority during her four terms in the House, and she believes Lightfoot has the best path forward for policies that can help the city of Chicago deal with the issue.
“Because of Lori’s intelligence, her integrity, her determination and her grit, and you definitely need grit to be the mayor of Chicago, I think that she will be a great mayor,” Kelly said. “A lot of our issues align, and I believe she’s definitely on the right track,” Kelly said. “And on some issues, she’s been on the track before me.”
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Lightfoot has been climbing in the polls since receiving an endorsement from the Chicago Sun-Times. A Telemundo/NBC5 poll released after the newspaper’s endorsement last week shows Lightfoot in fourth place in the crowded field at 10 percent, behind Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle at 14 percent, former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley at 13 percent and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza at 12 percent.
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Rep. Kelly is the fourth member of Congress to endorse a candidate in the upcoming election. Rep. Bobby Rush has endorsed Daley for the job, while Rep. Jan Schakowsky has endorsed Preckwinkle.
Rep. Danny Davis has also thrown his hat in the ring, supporting Dr. Willie Wilson ahead of next week’s election.
