Chicago mayoral candidate Ald. King calls for top cop to be fired over ongoing violence

CHICAGO - Chicago's newest candidate for mayor is blaming Lori Lightfoot’s alleged failures on what she calls the mayor’s "my way or the highway" style of governing.

Fourth Ward City Council member Sophia King calls violent crime the "number one, number two and number three" top issue for Chicago voters. She joins a chorus of critics calling for Police Supt. David Brown to be fired.

"He made some bad decisions early on, pulling police out of the neighborhoods was bad – to downtown," King said. "But, if he had listened early on, I think we could have made some dents in the violence a lot sooner."

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While shootings and killings have fallen from last year's peak, homicides are currently 35% higher than in 2019 — the year Lightfoot took office.

Alderwoman King points to a mayor who often seems more eager to fight than find solutions.

"It's been ‘my way or the highway,’ traveling fast alone. But, like NASCAR sometimes, you crash and burn when you go fast alone," King said.

Speaking of NASCAR, King said Mayor Lightfoot cut a "bad deal" for next July’s racing event through Grant Park.

A graduate of Evanston Township High School, King has a chemistry science degree from the University of Illinois and a masters from Northwestern. She and her husband have been Kenwood neighbors and longtime friends of Barack and Michelle Obama.

She said she has not yet discussed her mayor campaign with either of the former first couple but plans to seek their endorsement.