Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is trailing a former public schools chief a week before the city's mayoral race, according to a new poll.
The Victory Research survey shows Paul Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, leading the top five candidates with 22%, followed by Lightfoot with 17.1%, the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday.
Also in double digits were Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Ill; remaining contenders were in single digits, the news outlet reported.
Amid sharp criticism for her responses to immigration, education, and crime, Lightfoot’s poll standing shows improvement.
On Feb. 8, a poll from the Chicago Sun-Times, Telemundo Chicago, NBC5 Chicago, and WBEZ Public Radio put Lightfoot in third place, Garcia in first and Vallas in second. On Feb. 14, Vallas took the lead in a poll by Northwestern University and Latino and black nonprofit groups, with Lightfoot still stuck in third place.
"I think Paul has solidified himself as the front-runner in the race with his message of law and order," Victory Research pollster Rod McCulloch told ABC Chicago. "It appears, unless something changes, that Paul Vallas will be in the runoff with someone. I don't know who that is. Lots of candidates are close enough to be there."
The election is set for Feb. 28. A runoff, if necessary, would be held April 4.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.