Will a tough-on-crime message resonate in lightning-rod Chicago?

What the city's debate on crime tells us on a national level

Chicago police
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

On Feb. 28, the city of Chicago will hold the first round of its municipal elections. The nonpartisan mayoral election is held in two stages. In the first, a large scrum of candidates fights to either cross the 50 percent threshold for an outright victory, or to be one of the top two vote-getters and proceed to the April 4 runoff election. While the race won't be closely watched for its national partisan implications, it is an important test case of whether the pandemic-era increase in violent crime is still a top issue for voters who actually live in the areas most affected by it. Here's everything you need to know about Chicago's mayoral election and what it means:

Why is crime a top issue in Chicago?

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.