Mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot, left, and Toni Preckwinkle appear on “Chicago Tonight” on May 14, 2018 and Oct. 16, 2017, respectively.

Calling Tuesday’s election a referendum on the “crumbling political machine of the past,” former Chicago Police Board chair Lori Lightfoot claimed a spot in the historic mayoral runoff set for April 2.

Paris Schutz moderates a forum with, from left, mayoral candidates Jerry Joyce, Neal Sales-Griffin, Bob Fioretti and John Kozlar on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019.

Chicago Tonight kicked off its series of forums Thursday with four of the 14 candidates vying to be Chicago’s next mayor: Jerry Joyce, Neal Sales-Griffin, Bob Fioretti and John Kozlar.

In less than two weeks, 14 candidates will appear on the ballot for mayor of Chicago. The first in our series of three mayoral candidate forums kicks off with four of those candidates.

(John Kozlar for Mayor of Chicago / Facebook photo)

There are at least 10 candidates eyeing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s job. One of them is Bridgeport native John Kozlar, who ran for alderman of the 11th Ward in 2011 and 2015. Why he now says he wants to be mayor.

11th Ward Aldermanic Runoff Forum

The race for the open seat in Chicago's 11th Ward has gone to a runoff between Patrick Daley Thompson and John Kozlar. Thompson is an attorney and Water Reclamation Commissioner. He's also a nephew of Richard M. Daley and grandson of Richard J. Daley. Kozlar is a law student and neighborhood advocate who ran and lost in the 2011 race. They join us.

As aldermanic races heat up across the city, the 11th Ward stands out as another Daley makes a go at public office in City Council. We sit down with candidates John Kozlar, Maureen Sullivan and Patrick Daley Thompson to discuss ward issues and City Council politics.