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While Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is the top ad spender in next week's mayoral race, her opponents are outspending her in recent weeks as they look to shut the incumbent out of the likely runoff.
Lightfoot has spent $5.2 million on TV, radio, digital and connected television on her re-election bid, per data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. That's significantly more than former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas' $3.7 million, businessman Willie Wilson's $3.2 million, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson's $2.8 million and Democratic Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García's $1.9 million.
But Lightfoot's edge comes from past spending, and she falls from the top spender to the fourth-highest spender when only looking at the month of February.
Wilson's been the top ad spender of the month so far with just shy of $2 million, followed by Vallas at $1.8 million and García’s $1.7 million. Lightfoot has spent $1.4 million while Johnson has spent just under $1 million.
The mayoral race is Feb. 28, but is expected to go into a runoff between the top-two candidates assuming no candidate wins the majority in a crowded field.