Chicago's Mayoral Election

From the outside, the North Wabash campaign office for Toni Preckwinkle, one of six candidates of color running in Chicago’s mayoral election. The red and blue room has a sole but clear indicator of what it’s there for, a sign placed center on the wall that reads: Toni Preckwinkle for Chicago.

The room behind it, however, bustles with more than a dozen people—all sporting Preckwinkle campaign buttons. Nearly everyone has a phone in hand, encouraging Chicagoans on the other end to get to the polls and cast a vote for Preckwinkle out of the other 13 names on the ballot. The unprecedented number of candidates, as well as the diversity of the group, makes this race a historic one for the city of Chicago.

For volunteer Bryan Thomas, 25, it’s Preckwinkle’s “demonstrated track record” for embracing Chicago in all its flaws and glory, that has won her his support. “No cookie cutter approach for development is going to work here,” says Thomas. “[Preckwinkle] includes everyone in her plans for the city.”

Just over a mile away, John Holden, 57, stands outside city hall handing out flyers to people passing by, encouraging them to vote in today’s election. The former journalist is bundled up and wearing several campaign buttons. City hall is just one of his stops throughout the Loop today as he visits polling places and hands out flyers.

“I believe it’s everyone’s civic duty to go out and vote today,” Holden says, “otherwise they’d be better off living in some kind of dictatorship.” Openly, he shares that he voted for candidate Paul Vallas, who Holden believes is the best person for the job. Whoever the new mayor is, though, Holden says the city’s bankruptcy, crime, and “the economic fortunes of the smaller and poorer communities” are all issues in need of being addressed.

Chicago has received nationwide attention for its abundance of violent crime and in 2013 current Mayor Rahm Emanuel drew major fire for closing 50 chicago schools. The city’s unstable finances are also a point of criticism that every mayoral candidate, should they be elected, has been charged to remedy. After the polarizing trial of Jason Van Dyke, the officer who was sentenced to prison for the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, reparations between the city and Chicago Police Department is also an issue at large.

Shanika Brown, who works in criminal justice, is adamant about addressing the issue of violence in Chicago.

“Top priorities for the mayor will be,” Brown says, “employment for the unemployed and for people with felonies, violence prevention in neighborhoods in Chicago or in Illinois, and more education options for elementary schools, high schools, as far as more schools opening in the neighborhoods instead of closing them down.”

Some find the abundance of mayoral candidates to be daunting, but Brown has an optimistic outlook on the fact that 14 people are running.

“I think it’s a good opportunity because we’re so used to having one or two or three, now we have a variety to pick from,” she said, before adding, “I just hope that we pick the right one.”

Freelance photographer, Trevor Ruiz, 30, has spent much of the day braving the cold. To show for his efforts: a handful of flyers from electioneers putting in their last attempts to sway voters.

“I think it’s interesting to hear their perspectives on why they push for their specific candidate, and there are so many running this year, so a lot of people have a lot of different things to say,” said Ruiz. “Having 14 candidates is pretty tough, but you just have to do your research.”

This February election will be a historic one for Chicago, with the largest field of mayoral candidates the city has ever seen. For Thomas, the group “reflects the diversity of this city,” with its variety of ideas, races, gender, and plans.

Amy Rohalla, 34, gets to claim the title of the 26th person to vote for Mayor in Chicago today according to the ballot box at her polling station. The coffee shop shift manager said she got up early to go vote at the Bezazian Branch public library about an hour after they opened at 7:15.

While the sheer number of candidates for mayor made it hard to make a decision, Rohalla managed to whittle away at the many candidates to find her one, by the time she cast her vote.

“Once I narrowed down the pool that I was looking at to like the top seven people or less, then it became much easier,” Rohalla said. “It’ll probably end up between two people having to have a run-off.”

A runoff will be triggered if no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, and with 14 candidates on the ballot, it is a struggle to reach even 20 percent.

Polls will be open until 7 pm, and when they close, Bar Louie in Printer’s Row will be broadcasting the results to its patrons. While he might not have made it to vote today, 24-year-old Bartender Derek Stuch says the bar usually has the news playing for those interested.

With such a large pool to of candidates to choose from, it is hard to say who will be Chicago's next mayor, or who will even make the cut for the likely runoff election. Still, with Mayor Emanuel removing himself from the race back in September and a plethora of viable candidates, this election is certainly one to watch.