On February 26, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle took the top two spots in the Chicago Mayoral Election, earning themselves spots in the April 2 runoff. Both are black women with long careers and similar visions for the city’s future. There has only been one female and two black mayors of Chicago, so no matter the election outcomes history will be made.

Lori Lightfoot won the February 26 election, two weeks after placing fifth in polls. Her rapid surge to the top of the 14 candidate race has given her momentum in the runoff that she still hasn’t lost. Lightfoot was born in Ohio and has spent her career working as a lawyer at Meyer, Brown and Platt and serving the city on multiple police accountability boards. Her platform focuses on bringing greater opportunity to the South and West side communities that suffer from economic depression.

Toni Preckwinkle is the Cook County Board President, the person in charge of allocating funds across the county to schools, prisons, and roads. She is a lifelong politician who first developed a name when she became an alderman in Hyde Park. Preckwinkle was one of President Obama’s closest mentors. Her name recognition shot her to the top of the polls as soon as she entered the race, but her lead continued shrinking until election day when she finished second. Preckwinkle has touted her experience throughout the campaign, she has emphasized the need for a fairer criminal justice system.

Both candidates have centered their messaging around their own lack of corruption and connection the to “machine” of Chicago politics.. With multiple scandals in Chicago politics currently, including multiple indicted Aldermen, corruption is the last thing the candidates want the voters see connected to their name. However, both candidates have had stories break during the campaign about their connection to corruption. Preckwinkle is linked to Alderman Ed Burke and Lightfoot is unwilling to release the identity of the person who made a backdoor donation of $40,000.

For the past five weeks the candidates have spent each day at a different school, workplace, and restaurant shaking as many hands as possible before spending their evenings in wealthy homes for fundraisers all in preparation for election day. Debates and forums have been held for the public to interact with the candidates and see them head to head. Both candidates have similar plans for education, violence, police accountability, and public housing among many other issues. “They are really similar, but I like Lori’s new perspective,” said sophomore Alex Schapiro. Although few Parker students are of voting age, Parker students have still taken interest in the race, and many seem to be struggling similarly to the voters themselves when choosing a candidate.

“I trust Toni’s experience. She knows what she’s doing and that is what’s most important to me,” said an anonymous senior girl. The Chicago City Council is a tough group to rally, and the candidate’s ability control City Hall is a priority for many voters.

For the February municipal elections, turnout was just 35.45%, Preckwinkle’s name recognition could help her in a high turnout election, but turnout much greater than what it was for the municipal general elections is unlikely. Both candidates have been encouraging people to vote, register to vote, vote early, and vote in anyway they can.

In a race still very close, with two similar candidates, the result is not predictable, but history will be made either way. Chicago will elect its first black woman mayor on April 2.