Ald. Ray Lopez bows out, will seek reelection
Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez is dropping out of the race for Chicago mayor and instead will seek re-election to the City Council, he announced Monday.
Lopez, who is in his second term representing Back of the Yards, Brighton Park and West Englewood, has been a frequent Lightfoot critic and launched a long shot bid to succeed her earlier this year.
While Lopez has been a vigorous campaigner, visiting neighborhoods throughout the city, he has not been able to raise as much money as some of his rivals. Aldermen rarely announce runs for mayor, in large part because they cannot run for reelection and pursue the city’s top job at the same time.
Lopez has been one of the city’s most prominent aldermen since getting elected in 2015. Since 2019, Lopez has feuded with Lightfoot and accused her of being negative, petty and vindictive — traits that some of Lopez’s critics say he shares. Lightfoot, in turn, has accused Lopez of “carrying water for” indicted Ald. Ed Burke, Lopez’s ward neighbor and ally.
In previous elections, Lopez has pushed back efforts to defeat him by progressive groups and generated a reputation as one of the council’s most conservative members, particularly on crime.
After a mass shooting in Brighton Park, Lopez said he was thankful “that no innocent lives were lost” and called out members of the community for what he said was their complicity in the violence, drawing intense criticism from some residents.
Still, he has been tough to beat in the 15th Ward, which he will seek to represent for another four years.
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