Chicago Mayor Election 2019: Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle participate in Rainbow PUSH Coalition forum

Evelyn Holmes Image
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Chicago mayoral candidates participate in Rainbow PUSH coalition forum
Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle participated Saturday in the Rainbow PUSH coalition forum ahead of next month's Chicago mayoral runoff.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The two women vying to become Chicago's next mayor participated Saturday in the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's community forum.

Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle faced off a day after former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, who came in fourth in the Feb. 26 election, announced his endorsement for Lightfoot.

RELATED: Willie Wilson endorses Lori Lightfoot

At the Rainbow PUSH forum, Rev. Jesse Jackson did not endorse either candidate, but simply introduced them both.

"I've tried to get out and talk to the constituents all across the city and I am going to do that. I'd be grateful of course for support of some of the other candidates, but I want to get to their voters," Preckwinkle said.

Preckwinkle's campaign has charged that Wilson didn't give their candidate his endorsement because she wasn't willing to pay his campaign costs or allow him to appoint key positions. Wilson's camp denies that as does Preckwinkle's challenger.

"The noise that we heard. The attacks, the rolling around in the mud, that doesn't put food on people's tables," Lightfoot said.

Chicago voters head to the polls on April 2 and will elect the city's first African American woman as mayor.

Each candidate continued to promise that they would grapple with issues like crime and neighborhood investment, while also coming off as progressive and independent.

Lightfoot and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle were the top two finishers in the Feb. 26 election and will be in the runoff election on April 2. Wilson finished fourth in the election, behind Lightfoot, Preckwinkle and Bill Daley.

WATCH: Who is Toni Preckwinkle?

Here's a closer look at Chicago mayoral candidate former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Lightfoot's campaign promises.

WATCH: Who is Lori Lightfoot?

Here's a closer look at Chicago mayoral candidate Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's campaign promises.

ABC7 is hosting a forum in the mayoral runoff in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Chicago and Univision Chicago. Watch it live on ABC7 at 6 p.m. March 20. The forum will also be streamed live on ABC7Chicago.com and the ABC7 news app.