Chicagoans Indicate They’re Ready for Change

*Photo by Alan Rodriguez on Unsplash

As Tuesday night’s numbers from the polls rolled in, one thing became increasingly clear: Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot would not be getting a bid for a second term. Instead, two competitors, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson are going to face one another in a runoff next month.

This is the first time in four decades that Chicago has not re-elected its mayor, demonstrating the fact that residents are eager for change. With a spike in violent crime and constant fights with both the police union and the teachers’ union, it was clear that Chicagoans are ready to see improvements in their Windy City.

But, what other changes are on the horizon for this city by the lake? Are locals going to start calling their gym shoes a new word like sneakers? Might they reach for a can of soda instead of a can of pop?

One woman coming out of a Lakeview area polling place spoke about something many never dare to challenge. She begged to remain anonymous as she shared the next shift she wants to see in her beloved city.

“This whole yellow mustard thing has never sat right with me,” she whispered to us as she looked nervously to her left and to her right. She then leaned in and added, “I put ketchup on my hot dog, and it’s damn delicious. I know I’m not the only one.”

She hurried away as our cameras caught her darting into The Wieners Circle. We couldn’t bear to see her order so we let her go in peace. We do now wonder if she added some chopped white onions, sweet relish and a pickle spear to her perfectly steamed bun. We now regret allowing our loyalty to our city to trump our reporting abilities. Who knows? Maybe ketchup IS actually good on a hot dog, sans mustard.

While the hot dog condiment choice remains highly debatable, we just hope that when she ordered fries, she wasn’t looking for garlic aioli as a topper. Slap some cheddar cheese on those bad boys, and still make your city proud!