Chicago mayoral candidates in final stretch with 1 week until Election Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Municipal Election now just one week away.

Voters will elect a mayor and early voting numbers are breaking records.

Tuesday morning, one of the mayoral candidates picked up an endorsement.

In a morning announcement outside of City Hall, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson announcing the endorsement of Anjanette Young, the victim of a botched raid by Chicago police on this day in February of 2019. She was handcuffed naked, while pleading for help.

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Young said she is endorsing Johnson because she wants Mayor Lori Lightfoot out.

"I remember having a personal meeting with Mayor Lightfoot in December 31, 2020 after fighting for months to get the body cam footage for my raid to get released," Young said. "The mayor looked me in my eyes and she told at that time that she was committed to holding those responsible who harmed me and that has never happened to this day," Young said.

For his part, Johnson said Mayor Lightfoot's policies are simply not working for Chicago.

"Lori has run up, run out of ideas," Johnson said. "She's run out. You know why she's run out of ideas? Because every single promise that she made four years ago, she hijacked from our movement. She's broken every single promise."

Mayor Lightfoot: 'I misspoke' when telling voters who don't vote for her not to vote at all

Johnson is one of nine candidates in the final stretch.

A new political ad from a frontrunner, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, shares a personal story about gangs in Chicago emphasizing how he plans to prioritize fighting crime in the city.

"I've lost friends and neighbors to gun violence," Garcia said in the ad. "I nearly lost my son to the gangs. We can't afford to lose one more kid...We can tackle crime and invest in opportunity for everyone. Let's build a safer, stronger Chicago together."

With her second term hanging in the balance, Mayor Lightfoot voted early Monday. Her opponents accused her of encouraging voter suppression after she suggested to South Side voters over the weekend who don't vote for her for reelection- shouldn't vote at all.

She said Monday she didn't mean to imply that people should not participate in elections.

"If I said anything other than everybody everywhere needs to vote, then I misspoke in the heat of a campaign rally," Lightfoot said.

Election Day is next Tuesday, February 28.