Brandon Johnson’s Win in Chicago Gives Progressives Something to Celebrate

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson won the mayoral race in Chicago on Tuesday night, defeating Paul Vallas, former head of Chicago Public Schools.

Johnson was announced the winner with 51.4 percent of the vote and 98.6 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. The win by Johnson shows that voters in the city are focused on progressive policies, including in the battle against crime, instead of the more stringent crime-fighting stance of Vallas.

Crime in Chicago has increased by nearly 20 percent over the past five years, according to a report from the Chicago Police Department. Between 2021 and 2022, crime increased by 41 percent, with theft being the main driver in the spike.

Johnson was seen by many as a more progressive Democrat, who was endorsed by the Chicago Teacher’s Union. Johnson has also received support from Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Vallas, also a Democrat, has been endorsed by Chicago’s Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police, as well as Bobby L. Rush, an Illinois state representative and former member of the Black Panthers.

A poll conducted prior to the results found that 67.5 percent who considered themselves “moderate” Democrats sided with Vallas, while 70.8 percent of voters who said they were “progressive” sided with Johnson, WFLD news in Chicago reported this week.

Vallas has previously criticized Johnson’s comments about defunding the police, but the Cook County commissioner has said, “As mayor of city of Chicago, I’ve made it perfectly clear, I’m not going to defund police, but what I am going to do is make sure we have smart police,” WLS-TV reported.

Johnson has also supported the use of social workers and EMTs to respond to some 911 calls rather than police officers.

John Catanzara, president of Chicago’s Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police, previously told The New York Times that if Johnson were elected, “we’re going to see an exodus like we’ve never seen before,” in regard to the city’s police department.

During a recent debate, Vallas said that he expects more Chicago police officers to return to the department if they are under new leadership. “The bottom line is, fill the vacancies, and invite those who have retired and those who have transferred to return and, under new leadership, they will. So you’ll be getting an infusion of experienced officers,” Vallas said.

A recent poll conducted by Northwestern University found that crime was a top issue for voters in Chicago, with 50 percent calling it important. Among different age groups, the poll found 80 percent of voters over age 65 saying that crime was the top issue, while 31 percent of those ages 18 to 29 agreed.