Fmr. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot talks city's bid to host DNC, what Democrats need to win election
CHICAGO (CBS) – All eyes will be on Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention.
To guide viewers through the historic presidential contest with a change at the top of the ticket, CBS News Chicago will have former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot joining as a political analyst. She recently sat down with CBS News Chicago's Irika Sargent for a wide-ranging interview about what she feels sold convention organizers about choosing Chicago and what the Democratic ticket has to do to win the general election in November.
Sargent: "At what point when you were mayor was it an idea, at least in your head, that we needed to bring [the DNC] back to Chicago?"
Lightfoot: "It started with [U.S.] Sen. [Tammy] Duckworth bringing this idea to me and my team and then we took the ball and we ran with it."
Sargent: "What would you say the top three things are when you're presenting a case for a city like Chicago in order to clinch it?"
Lightfoot: "They want to make sure that you can put the convention on, that you've got the hotel space, that you've got the convention space, that you've got the transportation, that there are no major red flags for Democratic convention goers. The conventioneers were gonna have an extraordinary time here and be happy as they left and go back to their home state. A big factor, I think, in helping us get it was Common."
Sargent: "Oh really?"
Lightfoot: "Yeah. He stole the show."
Sargent: "Given the history of clashes, of course, years ago, did you have any concerns about [the convention] being here?"
Lightfoot: "Conventions draw people from all across the country and, frankly, all across the world.
"I certainly didn't know back then that we were gonna have a war in the Middle East, but we know about what was happening in Ukraine and we knew that no matter what, people were gonna come to really articulate and advocate for their various ideas. So of course we knew we had to be ready for that. It was a consideration and part of our plan, but not a concern. Peaceful protest is part of the American tradition. Period. Full stop. So I'm hoping that people come, that they exercise their First Amendment rights, but they do it in a way that is respectful to our democratic process."
Sargent: "But if we're talking strategically, having it in a very blue state when there are so many other swing states, is there a drawback that you see in having it in Chicago?"
Lightfoot: "No, I see no drawback whatsoever, and, in fact, I see a lot of benefits. You cannot win in November without coming through the Midwest. So our neighbors to the north, Wisconsin, our neighbor to the immediate east, Michigan, you've got to get those states activated. It's easy to get to and we're Chicago, we're the greatest city in the world. We have everything that anyone who wants to come and visit, particularly our shine is brightest in the summer months."
Sargent: "You can still touch those other states that you need to impact, but still have what you would call the jewel of the Midwest in everything that Chicago has to offer?"
Lightfoot: "Yes."
Sargent: "OK. What does the party need to do at the DNC to really hit a home run here?"
Lightfoot: "To energize the base that really has been all over and worried in the last couple months in particular because those are gonna be the foot soldiers who go back to the cities and towns and states and tell their neighbors, 'Hey! Get off the fence. Come and vote.'"
Sargent: "Let's talk about Kamala Harris. What has the contact been in the past?"
Lightfoot: "When she ran for president some years ago, she was one of the few people that actually came through and very directly asked me for my support. Others came. Others talked. We met, but, you know, the prosecutor in her cut to the chase and said, 'Mayor, I'd really like your support,' which I appreciated. We've stayed in contact over the years."
Sargent: "So what do you think the biggest challenge is for the Democratic side?"
Lightfoot: "Well, we gotta be unified and we gotta reach out to those independents. We've got to reach out to the Republicans who don't want to vote for Donald Trump."
Sargent: "Given your time in office, if you could give advice to the Democratic party, Kamala Harris, [what would you tell them?]"
Lightfoot: "Well I haven't been shy about offering my advice, but what I'll say is this: go through the mayors. I'm biased of course. Mayors who their residents know when they walk down the street, when they go to the grocery store, when they pump their gas, because at the local level this is where the rubber meets the road. These are the people who are on the front lines every single day. I think the key to success is motivating, activating mayors all across the country."
In the second part of Lightfoot's interview, she talked about how former President Donald Trump treated her in private conversations and her political ambition for the future.
