CHICAGO — Chicago mayoral candidate Garry McCarthy is placing blame on Toni Preckwinkle for the city’s gun violence.
In a written statement McCarthy said, “It is difficult to identify a person more accountable for the wholesale slaughter of African Americans in this city than Toni Preckwinkle” and he described her politics as “manipulative and misguided.”
The statement comes the day after Preckwinkle entered the race aiming to be the first black woman to serve as Chicago mayor. As Cook County Board President, she made reducing the number of non-violent offenders in the jail a top priority.
“It’s a misaligned political agenda that is not reflective of reality in the criminal justice world. You can’t let everyone out of prison,” said McCarthy.
Preckwinkle supporter Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) called McCarthy’s comments ”disrespectful.”
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“Don’t place blame on someone who is doing her job and doing her job quite well in advocating for criminal justice reform and reducing the jail population,” Sawyer said. “For him to say she’s singularly responsible for the deaths is irresponsible, it’s uncalled for, and I think it’s unprofessional for someone running for mayor of the entire city of Chicago.”
Preckwinkle refused to address McCarthy’s statement as she joined striking hotel workers outside the Chicago Hilton, Friday night. In 2016 she was quoted in the Chicago Tribune calling McCarthy a “racist bully boy.”
