Lightfoot pledges to ‘get to work’ with Biden administration

In a speech congratulating President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory Nov. 7, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was elated and relieved to begin working with the new administration and stressed the importance of striving for unity amid the challenges of the past year.

Lightfoot noted Harris had made history and "shattered many glass ceilings" by becoming the first woman of black and Asian descent elected to hold the nation's second-highest office, further adding Biden's story and values reminded her of many of the men and families with whom she had grown up. 

"I admire many things about him, but particularly how he remains hopeful and resolute, even in the face of so many personal tragedies," Lightfoot said. "With Joe Biden as our president, we're never going to have to wonder whether he sees and understands our triumphs or our tragedies."

Lightfoot also thanked Chicagoans for coming out to vote, which she called "the most powerful tool in our democracy," and said the country had the opportunity and obligation to reaffirm its role and values.

"We must come together as a country to literally heal ourselves in the face of this horrific virus and to tackle the hard but important work that can only get done when we unite and work together," she said. "Over the course of this very hard year, we've been battered, but not broken. And now, more than ever, we must resolve to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow. We owe it to ourselves, and importantly, we owe it to our children to do just that."