Career Timeline of Lori Lightfoot: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Lori Lightfoot made an impact.

Lori Elaine Lightfoot is an American politician and attorney who served as the 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 to 2023. A Democrat, she previously worked in private legal practice and held several government positions, including president of the Chicago Police Board. Lightfoot gained national attention when she won the 2019 mayoral election, becoming the first African American woman and openly LGBTQ person to hold the office. However, she lost her bid for reelection in 2023, failing to make the runoff and becoming the first incumbent Chicago mayor since 1983 to be unseated after a single term.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2002: Appointed Chief Administrator of the Chicago Police Department Office of Professional Standards

In 2002, Lori Lightfoot was appointed chief administrator of the Chicago Police Department Office of Professional Standards by Police Superintendent Terry Hillard.

2013: Finalist for U.S. Attorney Position

In 2013, Lori Lightfoot was a finalist for the position of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, but the job went to Zachary T. Fardon.

2015: Appointed President of Chicago Police Board

In 2015, Lori Lightfoot was appointed president of the Chicago Police Board by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

2016: Police Accountability Task Force Report

In 2016, the Police Accountability Task Force, led by Lori Lightfoot, filed a report critical of the Chicago Police Department's practices.

2017: Re-appointed as Police Board President

In 2017, Rahm Emanuel re-appointed Lori Lightfoot to a second term as president of the Police Board.

May 10, 2018: Announced Candidacy for Mayor of Chicago

On May 10, 2018, Lori Lightfoot announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago in the 2019 elections.

May 2018: Resigned from the Police Board

In May 2018, Lori Lightfoot resigned from the Police Board, shortly before announcing her mayoral campaign.

2018: Highest-Funded Campaign Challenging Incumbent Mayor

By summer 2018, Lori Lightfoot had the highest-funded campaign of any individual challenging the two-term incumbent mayor, Rahm Emanuel.

April 2, 2019: Won Runoff Election

On April 2, 2019, Lori Lightfoot won the runoff election, becoming mayor-elect of Chicago.

May 20, 2019: Took Office as Mayor of Chicago

On May 20, 2019, Lori Lightfoot officially took office as mayor of Chicago.

May 28, 2019: Unveiled Proposals to Revise City Council Operating Rules

On May 28, 2019, Lori Lightfoot unveiled proposals to revise the Chicago City Council operating rules, including live streaming committee meetings and strengthening conflict of interest rules.

May 31, 2019: Called for Alderman Burke's Resignation

On May 31, 2019, after indictments were brought against Alderman Edward M. Burke, Lori Lightfoot called for his resignation.

June 5, 2019: Outlined Further Ethics Reform Proposals

On June 5, 2019, Lori Lightfoot outlined further ethics reform proposals for the city council.

June 2019: Lightfoot launches community policing initiative

In June 2019, Lightfoot launched a community policing initiative and announced that the Chicago Police Department would not assist ICE raids.

June 2019: Commenced Study of Chicago Casino Location

In June 2019, after legislation expanding gambling in Illinois was passed, Lori Lightfoot announced that the city would commence a study of where a Chicago casino would be located.

October 14, 2019: Announced Affordable Housing Task Force

On October 14, 2019, Lori Lightfoot announced the creation of an affordable housing task force to study solutions to housing affordability.

November 8, 2019: Lightfoot names Charlie Beck as interim superintendent

On November 8, 2019, after Eddie T. Johnson announced his resignation, Lightfoot named Charlie Beck as the interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

November 13, 2019: Lightfoot proposes ordinance to create Office of Public Safety Administration

On November 13, 2019, Lightfoot proposed an ordinance to create a new Office of Public Safety Administration, combining administrative functions of Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department and the Office of Public Safety Administration.

November 23, 2019: Chicago City Council approves Lightfoot's minimum wage increase plan

On November 23, 2019, the Chicago City Council approved Lightfoot's plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021, excluding restaurant servers and tipped workers.

November 26, 2019: Chicago City Council Approves Lightfoot's Budget

On November 26, 2019, the Chicago City Council approved Lightfoot's budget for the 2020 fiscal year.

2019: Campaign for Mayor

In 2019, Lori Lightfoot announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago, her first-ever run for public office.

2019: Elected Mayor of Chicago

In 2019, Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff election and became the 56th mayor of Chicago.

2019: Defended Police Officer and Faced Criticism

In 2019, Lori Lightfoot faced criticism for defending Chicago police officer Paul Powers against charges of physical assault.

2019: Speculation of Mayoral Run

In 2019, there was already speculation that Lightfoot was planning a run for mayor of Chicago.

March 6, 2020: Named Tracey Scott as CEO of Chicago Housing Authority

On March 6, 2020, Lightfoot named Tracey Scott as CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority.

April 2, 2020: Lightfoot nominates David Brown as superintendent of police

On April 2, 2020, Lightfoot nominated David Brown to be superintendent of police. Brown became acting superintendent on April 15, pending confirmation.

May 5, 2022: Selected Bally's Corporation for Casino Resort

On May 5, 2022, Lori Lightfoot announced that she had selected a bid from the Bally's Corporation to construct a casino resort on the west bank of the Chicago River.

February 28, 2023: Lightfoot fails to qualify for mayoral run-off

On February 28, 2023, Lightfoot finished third in the mayoral election and failed to qualify for the run-off election.

April 4, 2023: Brandon Johnson prevails in mayoral run-off

On April 4, 2023, Brandon Johnson won the mayoral run-off election, with Lightfoot being the only eliminated candidate not to endorse either candidate.

2023: Failed Re-election Bid

In 2023, Lori Lightfoot ran for re-election but failed to qualify for the runoff, becoming the first incumbent Chicago mayor to not be re-elected since 1983.