Days after last week’s historic election, many West Side residents were still processing the fact that Chicago will get its first African American female and first openly gay mayor. 

Donna Thadison said that she supported Lightfoot over her challenger, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. 

“[Preckwinkle’s] a good candidate,” Thadison said. “But she should let somebody else get a chance to get in office. That’s my opinion.” 

“I was surprised [by the election results],” said Jeff Stiers. “I guess I’ll say I’m pretty proud of our city for electing a black woman as mayor. I think that’s pretty fantastic. I don’t think I followed it too closely enough, because I thought Toni had the advantage as more of a career politician. So I definitely didn’t see the Lori tsunami coming.”

Despite having won all 50 wards and 74 percent of the overall vote, the 56-year-old Ohio native and political outsider has never held public office. Preckwinkle, in comparison, has had a long career in Chicago politics, serving on the Chicago City Council for 19 years before becoming the Cook County board president and head of the Cook County Democratic Party. For some voters it was this long history in politics that made Preckwinkle seem to be the less appealing candidate.

“Lightfoot should have won, because no one wants the normal politician anymore,” said Austin resident Jerard Jackson, owner of Jay’s Barbershop on Austin Boulevard. Jackson said that he believes Preckwinkle’s support for the controversial soda tax and her reputation as a “machine” politician ultimately cost her the election. 

“People just want something new and fresh,” he said. “I mean, give Lightfoot a try. Everyone else has tried.”  

Stiers said that Lightfoot will confront some challenges once she gets into office. 

“I think it’s going to be challenge for her to keep all of the business support the previous administration had,” he said. “She needs to reach out to parts of the city that have not had the kind of support that they need.” 

For some West Side residents, the election wasn’t on their radar at all, a reality that translated into 30 percent turnout across the city, which was up slightly from the 24 percent voter turnout for February’s election.