The number of candidates running for Chicago mayor is the largest in generations. And the number of critical issues facing the city is even bigger. To help you decide how to vote, WBEZ reporters and editors sent the candidates specific yes or no questions about those issues (and a fun one!). We also gave candidates limited space to explain their answers.
All candidates on the Feb. 26 ballot have responses below, except for Neal Sales-Griffin, who did not complete the questionnaire. Responses marked with a [...] indicate the candidate didn't directly answer yes or no, but may have provided a written explanation. Click on the candidate's response to read more. Responses were edited for typos, but not substance.
Want to compare answers from only Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle? You can find that here.
The Candidates
Gery Chico
Former Chicago Public Schools Board President
Bill Daley
Former White House Chief of Staff
Amara Enyia
Activist
Bob Fioretti
Former Chicago Alderman
LaShawn Ford
Democratic State Representative
Jerry Joyce
Attorney
John Kozlar
Attorney
Lori Lightfoot
Former Chicago Police Board President
Garry McCarthy
Former Chicago Police Superintendent
Susana Mendoza
Democratic Illinois Comptroller
Toni Preckwinkle
Democratic Cook County Board President
Paul Vallas
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO
Willie Wilson
Businessman
The Questions
Click/tap a candidate for their expanded response
Will you work to raise fees on ride-shares, like Uber and Lyft, to fund CTA improvements?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
No
Amara Enyia
No
Bob Fioretti
No
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
No
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
No
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
No
Chicagoans are not currently allowed to make anonymous complaints against police officers. Will you work to change that policy?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
No
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
No
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you work to hire more police detectives to reduce violence and increase Chicago's low homicide clearance rate?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
...
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
Yes
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
No
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
No
Will you work to hire social workers to respond to police calls involving mental health episodes?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you lobby state legislators to allow a city-run casino in Chicago?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
No
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
Yes
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you support a tax on financial transactions conducted by asset exchanges in Chicago, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the CBOE?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
No
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
No
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
No
John Kozlar
No
Lori Lightfoot
...
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
No
Toni Preckwinkle
...
Paul Vallas
No
Willie Wilson
No
Will you support the creation of an income-based city tax, either on Chicagoans or commuters?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
No
Lori Lightfoot
No
Garry McCarthy
No
Susana Mendoza
No
Toni Preckwinkle
No
Paul Vallas
No
Willie Wilson
No
Tax hikes are often discussed as a solution to Chicago's under-funded pension crisis. Will you explore cutting benefits for current and/or future workers and retirees in order to lower the city's pension obligations?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
No
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
...
Garry McCarthy
No
Susana Mendoza
No
Toni Preckwinkle
No
Paul Vallas
No
Willie Wilson
No
Chicago's vehicle ticketing and enforcement system disproportionately affects people of color. Will you make changes to the system, even if it means less revenue for the city?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Chicago's mayor has the ability to make dozens of appointments to influential public boards and commissions. Do you commit to making appointments that mirror Chicago's diverse demographics?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
Yes
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
The mayor currently appoints Chicago Public Schools CEO and each member of the school board. Will you lobby state legislators to pass a law allowing Chicago voters to elect school board members?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
No
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
...
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you support a binding community benefits agreement for the Obama Presidential Center?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
No
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
...
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you support eliminating the single-family home zoning designation, which disallows multi-unit homes in parts of the city, as a way to reduce housing segregation?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
No
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
No
LaShawn Ford
...
Jerry Joyce
No
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
No
Will you force developers of new projects to build affordable housing units in gentrifying communities where long-time residents are being displaced?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you commit to building public housing replacement units and affordable units on vacant CHA land where demolished high-rises once stood?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
No
Willie Wilson
Yes
Will you expand the number of CHA housing vouchers that allow renters to find homes in neighborhoods that aren't racially and economically segregated?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
Yes
Chicago aldermen enjoy unwritten, unilateral power to influence zoning and development decisions in their wards. Will you work to end this so-called "aldermanic prerogative" in favor of a holistic approach to citywide development?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
...
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
No
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
No
So-called "sweepstakes" machines function like legal video gambling, but are unregulated. Will you support a ban on sweepstakes machines in Chicago?
Gery Chico
No
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
Yes
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
No
Jerry Joyce
...
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
No
Toni Preckwinkle
No
Paul Vallas
...
Willie Wilson
No
Chicago has more lead service lines than any big city in the U.S. Will you use city money to help residents replace lead pipes that carry water to their homes?
Gery Chico
Yes
Bill Daley
Yes
Amara Enyia
...
Bob Fioretti
Yes
LaShawn Ford
Yes
Jerry Joyce
Yes
John Kozlar
Yes
Lori Lightfoot
Yes
Garry McCarthy
Yes
Susana Mendoza
Yes
Toni Preckwinkle
Yes
Paul Vallas
Yes
Willie Wilson
No
If you could exercise executive power in one of the following fictional worlds (Pawnee Ind. in Parks and Recreation, Wakanda in Black Panther, Washington D.C. in Scandal, a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars, or another place), which would you choose and why?
Gery Chico
Pawnee, Ind. (Parks & Rec)
Bill Daley
😞
No answer
Amara Enyia
☀️
Utopia
Bob Fioretti
😞
No answer
LaShawn Ford
Wakanda (Black Panther)
Jerry Joyce
Washington, D.C. (Scandal)
John Kozlar
📺
I need to watch more TV.
Lori Lightfoot
Wakanda (Black Panther)
Garry McCarthy
😞
No answer
Susana Mendoza
Pawnee, Ind. (Parks & Rec)
Toni Preckwinkle
Valdemar
Paul Vallas
Prime Minister of England in World War II
Willie Wilson
Washington, D.C. (Scandal)Development and design by Paula Friedrich. Candidate images courtesy of campaigns and AP Photo.