Lori Lightfoot will announce her run for Chicago mayor Thursday, her campaign said in a statement, putting an end to months of speculation on whether the police reformer would take on incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Lightfoot stepped down from her role as head of the Chicago Police Board on Monday in anticipation of the announcement, saying in her resignation letter that she planned to "continue my efforts to be a passionate advocate for issues that are critical to uplifting the quality of life for all Chicagoans." [[480710181, C]]
As president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Police Accountability Task Force, Lightfoot was the point person for reform efforts at the Chicago Police Department in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Chicago teen Laquan McDonald, whose death made national headlines and sparked a federal investigation into CPD's practices.
A former U.S. attorney, Lightfoot has been meeting with key political operatives to build a team. She joins seven other candidates looking to take on Emanuel in the February 2019 election.
