Chicago Mayoral Election Survey: Opinions of Voters Age 50+

Economic pressures, political corruption, and crime are top concerns to Chicago voters age 50 and older, and voters will be looking to the next mayor to address these important issues. In fact, many Chicagoans 50-plus say they have considered leaving the city to move to a more affordable and safer community. As further indication of the concern around budget and crime, voters 50-plus place more importance on a candidate with expertise to address these issues over a seasoned politician with ties to existing leaders and influencers in the city of Chicago.

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Key findings include:

• Economic pressures, political corruption, and crime are top concerns.
• Voters are more likely to chose a candidate with issue expertise over a seasoned politician.
• Top reasons for wanting to leave Chicago are cost of living and crime.
• Safety and quality of public transportation is very important for next mayor to address.

Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish between December 10 and 23, 2018, reaching both landline and mobile phones. The data are weighted by age and gender, and race/ethnicity. For more information, contact Kate Bridges at kbridges@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact media@aarp.org.