CHICAGO — Brandon Johnson called for Chicago to “come alive” and for neighbors to love each other as he claimed victory in the mayor’s race Tuesday night.
Johnson, a teacher and Cook County commissioner, held 51.45 percent of the vote with 98.61 percent of precincts reporting, while former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas held 48.55 percent of the vote.
The Associated Press called the tight race for Johnson, and Vallas conceded.
In a victory speech Tuesday night, Johnson repeatedly recognized the day as the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and connected King’s legacy to his election, saying Chicago will be revived under his administration.
“The most radical thing we could ever do, you all, is to actually love people. And our administration will do just that,” Johnson said. “So make no mistake about it: Today, we did not just commemorate the life and the legacy of one of the greatest humanitarians who ever walked the planet Earth. Today, we did not just acknowledge the assassination of a dreamer.
“Today, the dream is alive; so today, we celebrate the revival and the resurrection of the city of Chicago. It is time for Chicago to come alive. Come alive, Chicago!”
Vallas and Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, emerged atop a crowded field of nine candidates in the Feb. 28 election. Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot came in third place and did not advance to the April 4 runoff.
The race revealed a deeply divided Chicago, with Johnson promoting progressive policies while Vallas portrayed himself as the tough-on-crime candidate. In a concession speech, Vallas called for Chicagoans to put aside their divisions; Johnson similarly said he’ll work to care for all residents.
“To the Chicagoans who did not vote for me: I want you to know, here’s what I want you to know — that I care about you,” Johnson said during his victory speech. “I want to work with you. And I’ll be the mayor for you, too. Because this campaign has always been about building a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all the people of Chicago.
“And when I say all the people, I mean all the people — especially folks who have ever been on a payment plan,” Johnson added to roars of laughter, alluding to flack he received on the campaign trail for unpaid water bills.
Vallas started the night with an early lead before Johnson pulled ahead. Supporters of Johnson — a former teacher who has received heavy backing from the Chicago Teachers Union — compared his lead to former Mayor Harold Washington’s historic election win.
“This is remarkable. Because it proves that working-class people, poor people, people of color, people of consciousness, have really come together and defeated ‘the alliance,'” said Monica Faith Stewart, who worked on Washington’s campaign and was at Johnson’s party.
RELATED: Chicago Mayor’s Race Would Come Down To A Coin Flip If Johnson, Vallas Tie
Ald. Matt Martin (47th), a progressive who backed Johnson, said the candidate had led a “very, very strong campaign.”
Supporters cheered and danced at the party. Anjanette Young — the woman whose home police wrongfully raided in 2019 — was among the revelers.
“I’m ecstatic. It’s amazing. It is surreal. [Former CTU] President Karen Lewis is with us tonight,” Johnson supporter Danielle Lawson said as she watched the results come in.
Johnson promised to make investments that will benefit all Chicagoans.
“Chicago, tonight is just the beginning. With our voices and our votes, we have ushered in a new chapter in the history of our city,” he said during his victory speech. “The truth is, the people have always worked for Chicago, whether you wake up early to open the doors of your businesses or teach middle school or wear a badge to protect our streets or nurse patients in need or provide child care services, you have always worked for this city.
“And now Chicago will begin to work for its people, all the people, because tonight is a gateway to a new future our city, a city where you can thrive regardless of who you love or how much money you have in your bank account, a city that’s truly safer for everyone by investing in what actually works to prevent crime. And that means youth employment, mental health centers, ensuring that law enforcement has the resources to solve and prevent crime. A city that actually respects the workers who keep it running and supports the entrepreneurs that keep it growing. A city where trains run on time and where no one is too poor to live in one of the richest cities in one of the wealthiest nations at the richest time in the history of the world. A city where public schools have the resources to meet the needs of every child across the city.
“Now, in other words, tonight is the beginning of a Chicago that truly invests in all of its people. Now, you’ve heard me say this before, Chicago — well, you’re gonna keep hearing it, because the heart of this movement has always been about investing in people.”
Johnson, a West Side native, said he’s “had to shield [his] children” from bullets outside his front door, and a student once told him he should be teaching at a “good school.” Too many Chicagoans don’t think they deserve value, he said.
“That changes under a Johnson administration. Because there’s more than enough for everybody in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said.
The mayor-elect referenced Chicago’s long history of labor and civil rights work, saying the city can build upon the legacies of Jane Addams, Washington, King and others to build a “better, stronger, safer Chicago.”
“Here’s the truth: Chicago is a world-class city,” Johnson said. “We are a city with its natural beauty and history like no other place in America, and we are a city that has been the conscience of the nation time and time again. …
“When Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to the city of Chicago … he said if we can figure it out in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world.
“So, Chicago, I’ll say it this day: Today, we take big steps towards figuring it out here. So I believe since we are taking steps to figure it out here, let’s take this bold progressive movement around these United States of America. Chicago, we can show the country, we can show the world what’s possible when we stand on our values as one people.
“We can reject the false choices that have been presented to us for too long. … We get to do it for everyone, Chicago. We don’t have to choose between toughness and compassion, between the care of our neighbors and keeping our people safe. If tonight is proof of anything, it is proof that those old, false choices do not serve this city any longer.”
At 9:45 p.m., Vallas said he was “honored and humbled” by supporters, but he’d called Johnson and told him he expected Johnson to be the next mayor. Vallas said he’d offered Johnson his support as he transitions into the role.
“The only pathway forward in our great city is together,” Vallas said. “It’s time for all Chicagoans to put aside their differences and to walk and to work together supporting the daunting work ahead for our next mayor. I am optimistic that better, brighter days are on the horizon.”
The mood dropped precipitously after 8 p.m. at Vallas’ election night party as supporters gathered around TVs and watched Johnson take the lead. Alds. Tom Tunney and Walter Burnett, who backed Vallas, mingled with partygoers.
Vallas supporter Dan Butterworth said he hoped Vallas could reclaim the lead but conceded it looked like an “uphill battle” for his preferred candidate.
“It’s one of those things — you hope somebody wins, but you respect the process,” said Butterworth, who ran unsuccessfully for the 16th district’s police council. “And, hey, I’m a Chicagoan. So if it’s Mayor Johnson, we do what we can to support Mayor Johnson.
“You don’t have to agree with everyone. But, the election comes in and let’s see what happens. But we all want a thriving city. So I hope we do what we need to do to make it better.”
Lightfoot congratulated Johnson in a statement from her campaign.
“It is time for all of us as Chicagoans, regardless of our zip code or neighborhood, our race or ethnicity, the creator we worship, or who we love, to come together and recommit ourselves to uniting around our shared present and future,” Lightfoot said. “My entire team and I stand ready to collaborate throughout the transition period.”
The two candidates represent starkly different constituencies, backgrounds and platforms — divisions which have been laid bare over the past five weeks through contentious debates, attack ads and nonstop campaigning across the city.
Both have also snagged high-profile endorsements from a range of elected officials, unions and other groups.
Vallas has centered his mayoral campaign around public safety. He’s pledged to rehire hundreds of retired police officers to help fill department vacancies, although similar plans have fallen short in other cities.
Vallas has also said he would boost morale at the Police Department by restoring “beat integrity,” meaning officers would be consistently deployed to the same neighbors, as well as replace private security guards on the CTA with uniformed cops.
Throughout the campaign, Vallas has weathered repeated attacks over whether he is actually a Republican and holds conservative views.
Johnson and debate moderators have consistently referenced a 2009 interview where Vallas described himself as “more of a Republican than Democrat.”
Vallas has since tried to distance himself from the interview and other comments by citing his many political runs as a member of the Democratic Party and wracking up support from well-known Democrats like Sen. Dick Durbin and former Secretary of State Jesse White.
The only white candidate to run in the Feb. 28 election, Vallas has also ended up in hot water for activity on his campaign’s social media accounts, which have “liked” racist and offensive posts. The Vallas campaign has said the candidate does not run his social media and he did not personally “like” the posts.
In addition to Chicago, Vallas led school systems in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Connecticut. He has been a longtime advocate for school choice and supports expanding charter and magnet schools in Chicago.
Johnson, in contrast, has pledged to focus on the “root causes” of crime by directing greater investment to neighborhood development and mental health services. He’s also repeatedly promised to promote 200 detectives from the department’s rank-and-file to solve more violent crimes.
But Johnson’s campaign has been unable to shake attention over the candidate’s past comments seemingly in support of reducing police funding, like when he described defunding the police as “an actual, political goal” in 2020.
When pressed on his stance at a March 14 forum, Johnson said while he “said it was a political goal. I never said it was mine.”
Johnson later clarified he does not support defunding the police, but he does back a more “holistic” approach to public safety.
“As far as my vision for public safety, I’m not going to defund the police,” Johnson said in a March 15 interview with Block Club.
A former teacher, Johnson was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2018. He’s also a longtime organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, one of his main financial backers.
On the campaign trail, Johnson has been highly critical of Chicago’s selective enrollment system, in which students and families must apply to the city’s highest performing schools. Johnson has instead advocated for fully funding neighborhood schools, but stopped short of saying he’d do away with selective enrollment.
Chicago’s mayor and all 50 alderpeople will be sworn in May 15.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.