CHICAGO — Chicago’s mayoral hopefuls exchanged personal attacks during a contentious candidate forum Tuesday evening that was repeatedly interrupted by loud protesters.
A group of demonstrators chanted against Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, who joked during the live broadcast that he must be doing something right if he isn’t mayor yet but already drawing protests. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, meanwhile, stood up for Johnson, saying he “has a right to talk without interruption.”
The rest of the forum, moderated by WGN-TV’s Lourdes Duarte and Tahman Bradley, featured far less collegiality between the candidates. At one point, Duarte and Bradley called for a show of hands from candidates who would keep Lightfoot’s handpicked police Superintendent David Brown as the city’s top cop. Lightfoot raised her hand and businessman Willie Wilson sheepishly followed suit.
