The 2023 Chicago mayoral election is set

CHICAGO — Two political heavyweights running for mayor led their supporters in a show of force Monday.

Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot collected more than 40,000 signatures, while challenger Jesus “Chewy” Garcia collected more than 47,000 signatures. Both appeared Monday morning at the Board of Elections Loop supersite with a group of supporters behind them.

“I think if you ask voters across Chicago and other taxpayers,” Garcia said. “They are ready for change.”

During a brief meeting with reporters, Mayor Lightfoot offered her proposal for another four years.

“Everything in our lives was completely turned upside down during the COVID period, and people are still recovering from that,” Lightfoot said. “So what we have to do is break through that level of frustration and anger — and to some extent fear — that people have and remind them of what we’ve been able to accomplish together.”

Garcia, meanwhile, contrasted his leadership style with Lightfoot’s.

“I can be a unifying force in Chicago. I have the temperament to bring people together,” Garcia said. “I have the ability to listen to people, to be collaborative and inclusive. This has been my public service for many years.”

Chicago Mayor Roderick Sawyer also filed for mayor today, adding himself to a field of at least 9 notable candidates in the crowded 2023 mayoral race.

If none of the candidates receives more than 50% of the votes during the elections on February 28, the two candidates with the best results advance to the second round on April 4.