Leftist Chicago Mayoral Candidate Defeats Moderate Rival, Will Succeed Lori Lightfoot

On Tuesday, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson was elected as Chicago’s next mayor, defeating moderate rival Paul Vallas. Johnson emerged as the victor with 51.4% of the votes, while Vallas obtained 48.6%. Johnson’s triumph means that current mayor Lori Lightfoot will be replaced, as she lost her re-election bid in the February primary election.

Johnson prioritizes investing in the people of Chicago, telling supporters during his victory speech, “Tonight is the beginning of a Chicago that truly invests in all of its people.” Johnson’s campaign experienced criticism for his description in a 2020 radio interview of the “defund the police” movement as an “actual, real political goal,” which he later disavowed in follow-up interviews. In contrast, Vallas’ campaign promised to increase the number of sworn officers and make public safety a “basic human right.”

Johnson was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union while Vallas received the support of the Chicago Police Union. Lightfoot’s four-year tenure was marked by an increase in criminal activity with 490 homicides in 2019, rising to 772 in 2020 and increasing further to 800 in 2021. Despite this situation, Lightfoot proposed eliminating $80 million from the Chicago Police Department budget in 2020.

Johnson’s “tax fairness plan” is directed at raising taxes on “big corporations and the ultra-rich” through new fees on hotel reservations and a per-employee “head tax.” According to a 2021 study by the Tax Foundation, Chicago has the second-highest tax burden for state and local sales tax rates in the United States.

Chicago has witnessed prominent businesses including airplane manufacturer Boeing, food processing company Tyson, and construction machinery firm Caterpillar shutter major offices or relocate their headquarters in response to the city’s rising crime rates. In recent years, Chicago has experienced an exodus of wealthy residents, including Ken Griffin, former CEO of the Citadel hedge fund, owing to the area’s lack of safety.