Overview
On Tuesday this week, Chicago's incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot lost in the mayoral race, while the other two candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will face each other in a runoff election in April. Heavy controversy surrounds this election, from statements by Lightfoot herself and those of her critics. See for yourself how these different narratives are colliding in the U.S. media in this Kudzu brief.
Key Insights:
- “Chicago teachers union” surfaced as a top keyword, highlighting Lightfoot’s struggle to gain votes while the Chicago Teachers Union supported her opponent Paul Vallas. Likewise, “public safety” also demonstrates an issue where Lightfoot lost to her opponent Vallas’s tough-on-crime message.
- Surfaced keywords “black woman” and “openly gay” signify Mayor Lightfoot’s position as the first black woman and first openly gay mayor of Chicago. Lightfoot claimed unfair treatment due to her gender and race weighed against her in this election.
- Bias shows surprising balance in the number of sources in each category on this issue, with the exception of those classified as left bias.
