Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot faced challengers in the city's mayoral race Saturday at the candidates' first forum since controversy emerged over an email that a Lightfoot campaign staffer sent to teachers, seeking student volunteers to assist with the mayor's re-election bid.
Lightfoot on Thursday called the email, which sought student volunteers in exchange for offering class credit, a "mistake" and vowed to cooperate with an ethics investigation moving forward.
Saturday's event, the Chicago Women's Mayoral Forum, included several heated moments between eight of the nine candidates.
"All of us were doing everything that we could except for Paul Vallas, who’s been silent on this for seven months until today at this forum," Lightfoot said. "Shame on you, Paul, for not talking about women’s rights until today."
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Vallas, the former Chicago Public Schools CEO, stated, "Lori likes to invent new facts to pursue her narrative that dog doesn’t haunt in this game."
Candidates spoke passionately about a number of issues, including those affecting women, such as abortion, health care and education. Ald. Roderick Sawyer, of the city's 6th Ward, vowed to do "everything possible" to continue offering reproductive rights services, if elected.
When it comes to education, Brandon Johnson, a current Cook County commissioner, criticized Vallas.
Chicago Politics
"The fact that Paul Vallas, who has privatized public education all across this country, is even on this stage talking about public education is morally bankrupt," said Johnson, who has received the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union.
While it doesn't appear Lightfoot's campaign controversy was brought up during the forum, challengers fired back on her record.
"I heard the mayor said they try to get her to be a welder, maybe that’s a better job than being mayor, because unfortunately we are in communities struggling with the facts, in these communities don’t have access to fresh produce," said activist Ja'Mal Green.
Sophia King, current 4th Ward alderperson, called on Garcia to give back a donation made to his campaign by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150.
Garcia took aim at Lightfoot, specifically regarding the city's Invest South/West initiative.
"Invest South/West is really the Emanuel administrations with a Lightfoot brand on them," he said. "You’ve read the stories in the newspapers, they just aren't working."
The mayoral election will take place Wednesday, Feb. 28.
