In the first episode of our three-part "Women Rule: Tracking the candidates" mini-series: Lori Lightfoot.

Lightfoot is a Democrat running to unseat Chicago's current Democratic mayor, Rahm Emanuel. If she wins, she could be the city's first black female mayor (and its first openly gay mayor).

What is it really like for women hitting the campaign trail in 2018?

In a year that’s being billed as revolutionary for female political candidates, Women Rule’s three-part series, "Tracking the candidates," will focus on the gritty realities of running for office. Three women in three very different races across the country tell us why they’ve decided to run, what the challenges are on the ground (and in their personal lives), and what lessons other women can take from their campaigns.

We’re also following the numbers: our interactive Women Rule Candidate Tracker keeps tabs on the women running in state, federal, and gubernatorial races around the country.

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