Chicago

====1980 to present====
In 1983, [[Harold Washington]] became the first black mayor of Chicago. Washington's first term in office directed attention to poor and previously neglected minority neighborhoods. He was re‑elected in 1987 but died of a heart attack soon after.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rivlin |first=Gary |title=The legend of Harold Washington |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-25/news/ct-oped-1125-washington-20121125_1_harold-washington-first-african-american-mayor-economic-development |access-date=April 12, 2013 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 25, 2012 |author2=Larry Bennett |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510035458/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-25/news/ct-oped-1125-washington-20121125_1_harold-washington-first-african-american-mayor-economic-development |url-status=live }}</ref> Washington was succeeded by 6th ward alderperson [[Eugene Sawyer]], who was elected by the Chicago City Council and served until a special election.

[[Richard M. Daley]], son of Richard J. Daley, was elected in 1989. His accomplishments included improvements to parks and creating incentives for [[sustainable development]], as well as closing [[Meigs Field]] in the middle of the night and destroying the runways. After successfully running for re-election five times, and becoming Chicago's longest-serving mayor, Richard M. Daley declined to run for a seventh term.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chicago and the Legacy of the Daley Dynasty |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2016992,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911050717/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2016992,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 11, 2010 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=September 9, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=National Building Museum to honor Daley for greening of Chicago |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/04/national-building-museum-to-honor-daley-and-chicago-for-the-greening-of-chicago-.html |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=April 8, 2009 |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510023109/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/04/national-building-museum-to-honor-daley-and-chicago-for-the-greening-of-chicago-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1992, a construction accident near the [[Kinzie Street Bridge]] produced a breach connecting the Chicago River to a tunnel below, which was part of an [[Chicago Tunnel Company|abandoned freight tunnel system]] extending throughout the downtown [[Chicago Loop|Loop]] district. The [[Chicago flood|tunnels filled]] with {{convert|250|e6USgal|m3|-6}} of water, affecting buildings throughout the district and forcing a shutdown of electrical power.<ref name="CBS2">{{cite news |title=1992 Loop Flood Brings Chaos, Billions In Losses |publisher=CBS2 Chicago |url=http://cbs2chicago.com/vault/local_story_104140940.html |date=April 14, 2007 | access-date = January 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231222/http://cbs2chicago.com/vault/local_story_104140940.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> The area was shut down for three days and some buildings did not reopen for weeks; losses were estimated at $1.95&nbsp;billion.<ref name="CBS2"/>

On February 23, 2011, [[Rahm Emanuel]], a former [[White House Chief of Staff]] and member of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], won the mayoral election.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/41715205 |title=News: Rahm Emanuel wins Chicago mayoral race |work=NBC News |date=February 23, 2011 |access-date=July 3, 2011 |archive-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601010954/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41715205 |url-status=live }}</ref> Emanuel was sworn in as mayor on May 16, 2011, and won re-election in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tareen |first1=Sophia |last2=Burnett |first2=Sarah |title=Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wins 2nd term in runoff victory |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuel-wins-2nd-term-in-runoff-victory-2015-4 |website=Business Insider |access-date=April 3, 2019 |date=April 7, 2015 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403015441/https://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuel-wins-2nd-term-in-runoff-victory-2015-4 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lori Lightfoot]], the city's first African American woman mayor and its first openly LGBTQ mayor, was elected to succeed Emanuel as mayor in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bosman |first1=Julie |last2=Smith |first2=Mitch |last3=Davey |first3=Monica |title=Lori Lightfoot Is Elected Chicago Mayor, Becoming First Black Woman to Lead City |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/02/us/chicago-election-results.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/02/us/chicago-election-results.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited |website=The New York Times |access-date=April 3, 2019 |date=April 2, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> All three city-wide elective offices were held by women (and women of color) for the first time in Chicago history: in addition to Lightfoot, the city clerk was [[Anna M. Valencia|Anna Valencia]] and the city treasurer was [[Melissa Conyears|Melissa Conyears-Ervin]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/with-mayor-lori-lightfoots-inauguration-3-women-of-color-now-hold-top-citywide-offices-chicago-was-ready-for-this/ar-AABDWHV |title=With Mayor Lori Lightfoot's inauguration, 3 women of color now hold top citywide offices: 'Chicago was ready for this' | last=Perez | first=Juan Jr. |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 21, 2019 |via=MSN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713152154/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/with-mayor-lori-lightfoots-inauguration-3-women-of-color-now-hold-top-citywide-offices-chicago-was-ready-for-this/ar-AABDWHV |archive-date=July 13, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On May 15, 2023, [[Brandon Johnson]] assumed office as the 57th mayor of Chicago.