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Voters are voting in Chicago's mayoral election, which is almost certainly slated to send the top two candidates from Tuesday's election to a runoff thanks to the size of the field.
Nine candidates are on the ballot, with an April runoff being the next step unless one of those candidates wins a majority of the vote. The problem for Mayor Lori Lightfoot is that polls have shown her failing to separate from the pack and at risk of missing out on that runoff.
Former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas, Democratic Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and businessman Willie Wilson have all polled in double-digits in recent polling, along with Lightfoot, making forecasting the race murky.
According to the ad tracking firm AdImpact, there will be about $21 million spent on ads through Tuesday, with Lightfoot spending the most at $5.7 million. Wilson has spent about $4.4 million, followed by Vallas' $4.2 million, and then García and Johnson at about $3 million.