Lori Lightfoot makes finals stops as Chicago mayor ahead of Brandon Johnson's inauguration
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot walked walk out of her City Hall office for the final time as mayor on Friday.
Her four-year term leading the city of Chicago is coming to an end, with Brandon Johnson being sworn in Monday.
Lightfoot made a stop for lunch at the Bronzeville Winery, a new restaurant that is the product of her pride and joy: her South/West Initiative program, a public private partnership that has invested in Chicago's long-forgotten neighborhoods.
"A great way for me to spend my last moments as the mayor of the city touring the things that we have down to touch people's lives," Lightfoot said.
Some of Lightfoot's last moments as mayor also included signing a barrage of executive orders. Holding her last media availability on Friday, Lightfoot said she leaves city hall with her head held high and has no regrets. The mayor said she will never give in to the narrative that her leadership style was combative.
"The notion that I'm tougher more combative than Rich Daley and Rahm Emanuel is a joke. If I was a man, a white man, we wouldn't be having these discussions," Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot believes the negative narrative, which she calls offensive, overshadowed her many accomplishments, including investments in neglected neighborhoods and a balanced budget. As she passes the gavel to Johnson on Monday, she said, while he faces a number of big challenges immediately, her administration has done everything to set Johnson up for success.
"As I've mentioned to him before, and I will say here, my door is always open for any consultation that he wants, and I won't even charge him," Lightfoot said.
