For the first time since the ballot was set, seven of the city’s nine mayoral candidates gathered to discuss their strategies for the city at a forum hosted by Access Living.
A newly narrowed crowd of mayoral candidates sat together for the first time Saturday afternoon for a conversation on issues affecting the city’s disabled community.
The seven candidates — community activist Ja’Mal Green; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson; State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago); former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas; Ald. Sophia King (4th); U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill); and incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot — were seated in a row at a long table for the mostly cordial debate at the Access Living forum in River North.
Garcia said he was “running on fumes,” having flown to Chicago following days of voting that resulted in U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calf.) election as speaker of the House early Friday.
Missing from the forum were two candidates: Businessman Willie Wilson and Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) had both failed to fill out a required questionnaire to participate.
Lightfoot bore the brunt of criticism at the forum and faced it almost immediately.
“We need someone who can lead with communication and not altercation,” King said in a barb aimed at Lightfoot in her opening statement.
Responding to questions about how the city serves residents with mental health conditions, Vallas and Green both attacked Lightfoot for not reopening mental health clinics on the South and West Sides that were shuttered during Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s term in office.
