First Female Mayor of Chicago

Did you know Chicago’s first female mayor was elected in April 46 years ago? On April 3, 1979, Democrat Jane Byrne defeated Republican Wallace D. Johnson. She was sworn in on April 16, 1979.

Byrne got her start as a volunteer on John F. Kennedy’s 1960 campaign for president, where she met infamous Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Eyeing Byrne’s enthusiasm and talent, Daley asked Byrne to several positions culminating in chairperson of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee.

She entered the race for Chicago mayor in 1979, challenging incumbent mayor Michael A. Bilandic. Byrne defeated Bilandic 51% to 49% and winning to general election with 82.1% of the vote, the largest in Chicago mayoral election history.

As mayor, Byrne appointed the city’s first African American and female school superintendent, Ruth B. Love and was the first mayor to recognize the gay community. She ended the police’s practice of raiding gay bars and created the first Chicago “Gay Pride Parade Day” in 1981. Byne was a supporter of the arts and funded art institutions around the city and came up with the idea for a unified lakefront museum campus, renovating Navy Pier and expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

Byrne’s legacy as the first female mayor of Chicago inspired many young women to engage in civics and get into politics themselves. Water Tower Plaza was renamed as Jane Byrne Park in 2014 to honor her legacy.