page_title: Toni Preckwinkle
section_title: 2019 Chicago mayoral candidacy
hierarchical_section_title: Toni Preckwinkle / 2019 Chicago mayoral candidacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Toni Preckwinkle with a supporter at the James Thompson Center on election day April 2, 2019
context_page_description: Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the current Cook County Board President in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was first elected as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the executive branch of Cook County government, in November 2010 and became the first woman elected to this position. She was previously a five-term alderman in the Chicago City Council, representing Chicago's 4th ward. Preckwinkle was a candidate for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election, and advanced to the runoff election on April 2, but lost to Lori Lightfoot.
  In her first four terms in office as alderman, she emerged as the council's prominent defender of affordable housing. Among other issues, she is known for championing the controversial sweetened beverage tax, sponsorship of living wage ordinances, concerns about the costs and benefits of the city's Olympic bid, and her strong stance against police brutality and excessive force.
context_section_description: On September 20, 2018, Preckwinkle announced her candidacy for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election to replace Rahm Emanuel.
  Preckwinkle launched a number of challenges to the petitions of several candidates. She received criticism from other candidates for choosing to challenge candidates that were female and people of color. She launched five challenges against candidates that were women.
  In early 2019, Preckwinkle was connected to alderman Edward M. Burke following his arrest for corruption by the FBI. Burke had allegedly pressured fast food executive Shoukat Dhanani to make an illegal $10,000 donation to Preckwinkle's campaign. Preckwinkle ultimately returned over $100,000 that had been raised for her by Burke. She also called for Burke to resign from City Council. Preckwinkle, however, has been proven to have previously met with Burke just before hiring Burke's son for a six-figure county job.
  Ahead of the first round, Chicago magazine predicted that many progressive voters, expecting Bill Daley to advance to runoff and wanting a strong progressive opponent to him, might tactically vote for Preckwinkle, despite also liking Lori Lightfoot and Amara Enyia.
  Because no candidate reached the necessary 50% of the vote needed to win the election outright,  Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot advanced to a runoff election. In the runoff, both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune endorsed Lightfoot. Several former candidates, including Mendoza, Chico, Paul Vallas, and fourth-place finisher Willie Wilson also endorsed Lightfoot in the runoff. In an additional blow to Preckwinkle, Jesús "Chuy" García, who had been previously an ally of Preckwinkle's and floor leader for her on the Cook County County Board of Commissioners, endorsed Lightfoot (Preckwinkle herself had declined to endorse Garcia in the runoff of the previous 2015 Chicago mayoral election). Lightfoot held a substantial lead over Preckwinkle in polls conducted during the runoff campaign.
  In the runoff, Preckwinkle highlighted her depth of government experience and sought to emphasize a contrast with Lightfoot's lack of experience in elected office.
  Lightfoot won the April 2, 2019 runoff election with more than 73% of the vote. Lightfoot won every ward of the city. At the request of Rev. Jesse Jackson, both Preckwinkle and Lightfoot held a unity press conference at the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters on April 3, 2019, pledging to work together and not to get in the way of each other's political careers.
caption: Preckwinkle in April 2019
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