*Lead:Here are some suggestions concerning the extending and improvement of lead:- 
 **1. After opening sentence say something like: "She first sought office in 1983, and was defeated twice before securing election in 1991." 
 **2. Suggested clarification: "In addition to her elected role on the city council, Preckwinkle serves in a party capacity as....Cook County Central Committee". 
 **3. Delete description "international". Although the Olympics are an international event, Chicago's bid for the 2016 games is a city affair, not an international one. 
 **4. Suggest paragraph break after Chicago 2016 Olympic bid.  Then, in a short new paragraph, briefly summarise Preckwinkle's main areas of activity as an alderman, such as you have mentioned later, especially on affordable housing and minimum wage legislation. Also mention, again briefly, the controversies she has been associated with e.g Bellow, graffiti. 
 **5. Final lead para. Suggest begin: "Politically, she is a critic....."  Then, "She is by reputation an outspoken Chicago politician, whose actions and opinions have been noted in publications across the country, including the NYT and WP. She has a reputation as a progressive leader, accountable to her electorate". 

 More to follow