Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle has received a pair of new endorsements this week, as Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett have both thrown their support behind the Cook County Board President.
White, the state’s top vote getter in the 2018 election, spoke on Preckwinkle’s behalf at a press conference on Wednesday along with Burnett.
“The people of the city of Chicago will benefit from her leadership,” he said.
Preckwinkle will square off with Lightfoot in the April 2nd runoff after finishing as the top two candidates in the February election. Lightfoot has made change her key slogan in the campaign, but Preckwinkle is seeking to claim that mantle for herself.
“If people are looking for somebody who has implemented change, that’s me,” she said. “You can talk about change all you want, (but) it’s hard work to actually do it.”
Lightfoot also scored a new endorsement of her own, as she revealed she has the backing of the Latino Leadership Council, an organization representing business, community leaders and elected officials advocating for the Latino community.
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Another key endorsement could soon be in the offing, as NBC 5 has also learned that both Preckwinkle and Lightfoot will be meeting this weekend with Congressman Chuy Garcia.
Garcia, who replaced Rep. Luis Gutierrez in Congress, lost to Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a runoff during the 2015 mayoral election.
Preckwinkle pointed out Wednesday that she asked Garcia to be a part of her leadership team and “he and I worked together for eight years on a variety of issues.”
Lightfoot, who recently hired Garcia’s former campaign manager Manny Perez, also hinted that she would love Garcia’s endorsement, saying “nobody wins without having support all across the city.”
Finally, Friday will bring one more endorsement, as former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson will announce who he is backing in the race. Wilson was the fourth place finisher in the February 26th election and secured 60 thousand votes.
