Chicago City Wire

Although outgoing one-term Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not revealed what her plans are after leaving office on May 15, she has said that she does not plan on running for office again.

In an interview with WLS, which was her first television interview since she lost her bid for reelection, Lightfoot attributed the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd's murder and the spike in violence as reasons why she lost.

"There's a lot of anger, frustration and fear that is present, not only in Chicago, but across our country," she told WLS. "And, the winds of dissension continue to blow at a furious pace. So, for me, the biggest challenge wasn't some particular person's name on the ballot. The biggest challenge was breaking through what I call that 'anger bubble.'"

Lightfoot noted that she hasn't spend a lot of time thinking about what went wrong and other things that may have led to the city's first black woman mayor only serving one term.

"I don't spend a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror," she told WLS.

Lightfoot offered advice to her successor Brandon Johnson, suggesting that he rise above the fray and not allow himself to become beholden to any particular special interest group.

"I've offered to him since that initial meeting, and in subsequent conversation, I am here to help in any way that he would like," she told WLS.

Lightfoot said there is a "long list" of things she will miss about being mayor, but she doesn't have any regrets about her time in office. While she told WLS she has no plans to run for office again, she does intend to stay in the city, and she looks forward to being a regular citizen.

As for what she plans to do after leaving the mayor's office, Lightfoot plans to unveil those details after May 15.