Chicago Voters to Elect New Mayor

Voters in Chicago head to the polls on Tuesday to elect the successor to Mayor Richard M. Daley, a strong LGBT ally throughout his 21-year tenure.

Daley decided not to seek reelection in September. The four leading candidates vying to succeed him include Rahm Emanuel, Gery Chico, Miguel del Valle, and Carol Moseley Braun.

Emanuel, a former congressman from Illinois, stepped down as White House chief of staff last year to prepare his run. He has been endorsed by Equality Illinois PAC and the Human Rights Campaign.

According to ChicagoPride.com, "Emanuel, who received the endorsement of over 200 LGBT community leaders and advocates including openly gay state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Deborah Mell (D-Chicago), has approached 50 percent in opinion polls but his numbers have since dropped in recent polling."

If no candidate wins a majority on Tuesday, a runoff election will be held on April 5 between the top two finishers.