Crime: The unmistakable driver of Chicago's election results

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Crime, crime, crime. Also: crime. If there's one issue responsible for the surprising downfall of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who this week became the city's first incumbent to lose re-election in four decades, after failing to advance out of a primary round — it's public safety. Here's hoping other big-city mayors get the message.

Chicago's recent plight is hard to overstate. Already in 2023, more than 70 people have been slain. That follows a surge in gun violence during the pandemic, with more than 800 people killed in 2021 and nearly 700 last year. Total serious crime rose by more than 33% from 2019, when Lightfoot took office, to 2022.

These infractions go beyond garden-variety urban nuisances. Serious gang violence remains a plague. Organized criminal groups have brazenly looted retail stores across the city, including in the main shopping district. Carjackings, muggings and shootings have become all but routine. Predominantly Black neighborhoods have borne the brunt of the chaos.

Ominously, a growing number of big businesses — including Boeing and Tyson Foods — have been fleeing the city. Ken Griffin's Citadel, which has had its headquarters in Chicago for decades, pulled out last year after several employees were victimized by crime. "There is a general sense out there that our city is in crisis," said Chris Kempczinski, head of McDonald's, last year. "It's becoming increasingly difficult to operate a global business out of Chicago and Illinois."

Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, isn't entirely to blame for this disorder. For one thing, Kimberly Foxx, the local state's attorney, has declared that she won't seek serious charges for thefts of less than $1,000, has dismissed more than 25,000 felony cases (including for murder and other major charges), and at times has seemed to be almost inviting serious crime.

Strategic errors have compounded these problems. A plan to reassign tactical officers to beat patrols caused a significant backlash among supervisors. With manpower limited and gun crimes surging, the city mandated police overtime and canceled days off — even as morale plunged and suicides rose. Lightfoot probably didn't help matters by calling a police union official a "clown."

Voters couldn't help but notice. A recent poll found that crime was by far the most important issue among voters in the mayoral election, cited by nearly four times as many respondents as the economy.

The top vote-getter on Tuesday was Paul Vallas, a former public schools executive who has been endorsed by the police union, wants more cops on the beat and has made crime the focus of his campaign. He'll face a runoff contest on April 4. "We've got to restore public safety," Vallas said recently. "Everything proceeds from that." Well said.