It has been called the ‘city drenched in blood of violent crime’.
But Chicago’s new Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, has promised “a new chapter in our city’s history,” despite his previous support for raising money for the police.
His election marks a major change in American politics, with his winning platform a rejection of the “tough-on-crime” mantra that has gripped local politics in recent years.
The former teacher faces a huge influx to turn life around in the Windy City, where the rise in crime during the pandemic era has left residents frightened and angry.
Johnson, 47, also has an uphill battle to win over Chicagoans who supported his more conservative Democratic rival Paul Vallas, whom he defeated by about 13,000 votes.
In his concession speech, Vallas, 69, noted that the narrow margin showed that “the city is deeply divided.”
Chicago’s new Democratic mayor Brandon Johnson, pictured celebrating his victory in Tuesday’s vote, has promised ‘a new chapter’ in the city’s history
Johnson’s opponent Paul Vallas (above) narrowly lost, warning that the city was still divided
Vallas promised to strengthen the police, but Johnson’s opponents fear he will suppress it instead.
So who is Chicago’s new union-backed liberal mayor and what does his election mean for America’s third-largest city?
How did he win?
The Cook County Commissioner of Elgin, south Chicago, began his career as a public school teacher at Jenner Academy in Chicago’s Near North Side.
He has served the powerful Chicago Teachers Union for the past twelve years and their support has proved critical to his success.
In an early poll, Johnson received just 3 percent support, but unions poured millions of dollars into his campaign, generating significant support and volunteers.
Some analysts, including former President Barack Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod, questioned whether voters would want a mayor “beholden” to a union that has repeatedly clashed with the city’s last two mayors.
But Johnson successfully played off his background as he grew up in a poor, black family, taught at a school in a notorious former public housing complex, and told stories of successfully protecting his children from gunfire in their West Side neighborhood. .
He also received support from key figures on the Democratic left, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Squad member Ayanna Pressley, as well as Chicago-born rapper and actor Common.
Johnson quoted Jesse Jackson – who also supported him – and Martin Luther King Jr. in his victory speech, calling his election a continuation of their legacy.
Johnson won the support of key Democrats, including Bernie Sanders and Ayanna Pressley
How is he different?
Axelrod described the mayoral election as a battle between “the candidate of the Fraternal Order of Police” and the “candidate of the Chicago Teachers Union.”
While both Democrats, Vallas was the more moderate, conservative candidate, compared to Johnson’s liberal, progressive outlook, with their differences spilling over the voters’ main concern: public safety.
Vallas pledged to make Chicago “the safest city in America” by expanding the police force and cracking down on petty crime.
He berated outgoing mayor Lori Lightfoot for overseeing a “complete breakdown of law and order” and pledged to fully fund the city police.
Lightfoot, the first openly lesbian black woman to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city, had embraced calls to shut down law enforcement following the murder of George Floyd, saving about $58 million from Chicago’s police budget by 2021.
In a similar vein, Johnson filed a resolution in 2020 calling on Cook County to “direct funds from police and incarceration to public services not administered by law enforcement,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
In a radio interview the same year, he said cutting funding is not just a slogan, but “a real real political goal,” and supported a non-binding resolution by the county board to divert money from police and prisons to social services.
During his mayoral campaign, Johnson distanced himself from his previous support of disbanding the police force and pledged to promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of officers while strengthening police accountability.
But he has said he wants to tackle crime by putting money into mental health, education, jobs and affordable housing, rather than the police.
Johnson’s other priorities included environmental justice, gender equality and education, according to his campaign website.
Johnson supported law enforcement funding in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, but has since distanced himself from the idea
The former teacher believes the way to tackle crime is not more police money, but investment in social programs, paid for by more taxes
His opponent Vallas campaigned for a “hard crime” approach, pledging to fully fund the police and crack down on petty crimes.
Johnson’s supporters also tried to portray Vallas as too conservative for Chicago, citing his support for charter schools and previous comments that he saw himself more as a Republican than a Democrat.
They also took advantage of his affiliation with the Fraternal Order of Police, a national organization representing sworn lawbreakers in the US that has supported Republican politicians while its leader, John Catanzara, defended the insurgents who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Taxation was another important dividing line. Johnson called for a massive expansion of social programs in the city, raising $80 million by taxing the wealthy.
Vallas, who received strong support from the business community, said the plan would be disastrous for Chicago’s economy.
Race is also a factor in the city. Vallas, a white Chicagoan, had more support downtown and in largely white areas on the Northwest and Southwest sides.
He tried but failed to win over enough voters in predominantly black neighborhoods.
Johnson, on the other hand, was able to expand his base of white progressive voters on the North Side shore.
What challenges does he face?
Lightfoot became the first incumbent to lose reelection in the Windy City in four decades as opponents blamed her for a surge in crime.
When Lightfoot lost her re-election bid, conservative broadcaster Megyn Kelly tweeted: “Turns out her rallying cry of “I’m a black woman” (literally – this was her memory) failed to win over voters in a city drenched in violent crime.’
Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her reelection over criticism of her soft-on-crime approach amid a steady spike in violence. Pictured: Lightfoot at her election night rally on Feb. 28
According to the latest report from the Chicago Police Department, the number of rapes is up 16 percent so far this year compared to the same time in 2022.
Robberies are also up 13 percent, with aggravated battery and burglaries both up 11 percent.
Theft in the Windy City is up 31 percent, and car thefts in particular are up 143 percent.
Homicides and shooting incidents were the only category to show declines, falling 18 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While overall violent crime is up 52 percent from the same time last year, it’s up 102 percent compared to 2021.
Johnson, who takes office in May, is also facing a broader post-pandemic malaise, with a declining population, falling public school enrollments and fewer people using public transportation.