With Election Day a mere two days away, candidates in the hotly-contested Chicago mayor's race crisscrossed the city Sunday, eagerly seeking to convince undecided voters.
Paul Vallas, considered the frontrunner according to recent polls, is working to stay on message as challengers question his record - down to his social media likes and dislikes. Vallas has come under scrutiny for offensive posts liked by his Twitter account, but insists he didn't do so.
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WATCH HERE"Right now I'm not looking who's in the left lane, who's is the right lane, who's gaining with me, I'm just looking at the finish line," Vallas, the former Chicago Public Schools CEO, said.
While there's no doubt Mayor Lori Lightfoot needs a strong Black voter turnout to advance to the runoff, her opponents have cut into the lakefront and independent voters that pushed her ahead four years ago.
Lightfoot isn't afraid to fight back.
"Don't tell me Paul Vallas that you have an answer to solve this problem, because you don't," she said. "You don't have an answer. You don't have any experience."
David Axelrod, a Democratic political strategist and former senior advisor under President Barack Obama, said "it would be, at once, shocking, but not thoroughly surprising" if Lightfoot didn't make the runoff.
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"But she certainly shouldn't be counted out at this juncture," he said.
According to the most recent poll, Vallas is in the lead at 24%, Lightfoot is in second with 18% followed by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García with 16% and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson at 15%.
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SIGN UP Johnson is the Chicago Teachers Union's candidate, but Garcia has union support, too. Once the frontrunner, Garcia is counting on a second look, while Johnson taps into younger voters who want change.
"That her breaking promises and disappointing the people of Chicago has caused some of the level of fear and doubt," Johnson said, referring to Lightfoot.
As Axelrod sees it, don't discount the incumbent, but at the same time, it's clear Lightfoot is vulnerable.
"You know, it's important sometimes to clench your fist in politics and pound the table," he said. "It's also important to be able to unclench your fist sometimes and offer an outstretched hand."
