Chicago Votes on a New Mayor. Either Way, an African-American Woman Will Win. – The New York Times

“For me, personally, I’m asking, ‘Who is going to be the break from politics as usual in Chicago?’” said Jordie Davies, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago whose dissertation focuses on political activism. “I’m excited about two black women. But I’m looking at records. I’m looking at who is going to offer the most holistic platform for addressing problems in Chicago.”

Deidre Baumann, 50, a lawyer who cast her vote Tuesday at a library in the Budlong Woods neighborhood on the North Side, said she would be happy with whichever candidate prevailed.

“Either way, this is a historic election,” she said.

She watched the debates and studied the candidates’ records carefully, she said, deciding in the end to vote for Ms. Lightfoot, who she believed would bring her experience as a federal prosecutor to push for criminal justice reform.

“We have to make this city safe for all the citizens and the police,” Ms. Baumann said. “On the other hand, we cannot continue to incarcerate black and brown people in disparate numbers.”

In her eyes, Ms. Preckwinkle represented an older political model. “I’m disturbed a bit by her ties to the machine,” she said. “She always touted herself as the progressive candidate. She’s had to move away from that as she navigated the political system in Chicago.”

The new mayor must contend with a host of complicated issues in the nation’s third largest city, including a deep pension crisis, persistent violent crime, reform of the police department and the question of how to spur investment and growth in long-neglected and segregated neighborhoods on Chicago’s West and South Sides. Under Mr. Emanuel, the downtown has boomed, flourishing with tech companies, high-rise hotels, a sparkling riverfront and luxury apartments. But many African-American residents have moved out of the city in recent years. Mr. Emanuel, who was elected to two terms, did not seek a third term in office.