By Natasha Korecki -
NBC News
Lori Lightfoot, the first black woman and the first openly gay person to become mayor of Chicago, lost her re-election race on Tuesday.
The Democratic mayor did not get enough votes in the race in which nine candidates participated, according to projections by The Associated Press news agency.
The second round will be held on April 4.
Candidate
Paul Vallas
, the former CEO of Chicago schools, will face
Brandon Johnson
, a Cook County commissioner, backed by the Chicago Teachers Union.
Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Scott Olson / Getty Images file
From an ideological point of view, the choice between Vallas and Johnson is clear.
Vallas ran as a moderate pro-law and order candidate, while Johnson ran an openly progressive campaign.
But Chicagoans expressed their desire for change, rejecting both the current mayor and Latino congressman Jesús 'Chuy' García.
Lightfoot is the first person in office to lose re-election in Chicago since 1983
and conceded to him Tuesday night.
"It is clear that today we have not won the elections, but I am here with my head held high," he assured.
[Chicago mayor seeks re-election after tough election campaign and pressure from eight rivals]
Under Lightfoot's tenure, Chicago has seen an increase in crime, a top concern for voters there.
Crime spiked during her tenure, though she has repeated that it dropped in 2022.
Vallas was expected to win the first round after a crackdown on crime and garnering support in the heavily voted north and northwest areas of the city.
He also earned the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Chicago Police.
“We will have a safe Chicago.
We will make it the safest city in America,” he said Tuesday night.
A Decisive Tuesday for Chicago: Nine Candidates Play for Mayor
Feb 28, 202300:39
The end of a troubled tenure
For Lightfoot, it's the bitter end to a tumultuous tenure.
The mayor quickly developed an image as a national lightning rod for conservatives and repeatedly clashed with institutional interests, from the Chicago Teachers Union, to the media, and even the police.
She was sometimes praised for her handling of the pandemic, but witnessed violent riots after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer.
[A pregnant woman is run over by a man outside her Chicago home who steals her car with her 2-year-old son in it]
Lightfoot was one of seven black candidates vying for the votes of the city's black population.
She faced stiff opposition, particularly from Johnson, who had the backing and organizational advantages of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union.
She also ran against Willie Wilson, a black businessman who was leading Johnson in the polls.
Paul Vallas during a press conference on February 3, 2023 in Chicago. Scott Olson / Getty Images
Lightfoot's disapproval ratings have skyrocketed among Chicagoans fed up with gun violence, car thefts and muggings.
Despite being the acting mayor, she failed to lead the latest polls, falling behind Vallas and García.
Late in the race, he turned his guns specifically on Johnson, which many took as a sign that polls were showing him as a growing threat to his candidacy.
Under her tenure, Chicago reached the highest number of murders in 25 years in 2021: 797. There were also some 3,500 shootings, 1,400 more than those reported in 2019, when she took office.
Lightfoot has claimed the violence subsided late last year, but that hasn't eased discontent among voters.
A recent poll showed that 63% said they did not feel safe in Chicago.
