STORY: Lightfoot, the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as the city's mayor, was bidding for a second four-year term. She emerged as a surprise victor in 2019, campaigning as an outsider who would end corruption.

But her handling of a series of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice protests, a protracted teachers' strike and a spike in crime, sapped her popular support.

Paul Vallas, the former public schools chief in Chicago and Philadelphia who ran unsuccessfully for Chicago mayor in 2019, secured the top spot, taking 34.9% of the vote with 91% of precincts reporting, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, secured the other spot in the runoff race, taking 20.2% of votes.

Lightfoot had 16.4% of vote totals, and there were not enough votes outstanding for her to make up the ground between her and Johnson.

Polls showed public safety is by far the top concern among residents of the third-largest U.S. city.