Lightfoot releases emotional campaign ad as new poll shows her losing to Chuy Garcia

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's voice cracked, and her eyes grew teary in her latest campaign ad.

"I wouldn't be sitting here but for the sacrifices that my parents made for me, particularly my mom," Lightfoot said in the ad.

The emotional ad comes as challenger Chuy Garcia releases a voter opinion survey that shows him defeating Lightfoot by 30 percentage points in a head-to-head runoff.

The survey was paid for by Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, who have pledged at least $1 million to Congressman Garcia’s campaign for mayor.

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"The results of the poll made very clear to us that Chuy has very broad support across the city of Chicago," said Ed Maher, union member.

The union-paid survey confirmed what other polling has reported for two years: a large majority of Chicago voters are very unhappy with Mayor Lightfoot’s performance in office. A full 68% have a negative view of her, including 50% of Black voters.

Hoping to soften those views, the mayor's now invoking her upbringing in small-town Ohio.

"My parents sacrificed everything to make sure that my brothers and my sister and I could have a better life; a life that they could never have imagined," Lightfoot said in the ad.

A spokeswoman for Lightfoot’s campaign noted the voter survey was conducted a month ago, adding that some are "quick to forget that four years ago at this point, the mayor was in single digits. Campaigns matter."