Two candidates are heading to a runoff election that will determine who becomes the next mayor of Chicago, each with their own approach to the matters plaguing the city.
Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas defeated incumbent Lori Lightfoot to advance to the runoff, ending her hopes to secure a second term. Voters will decide between Johnson, a more progressive-leaning candidate, or Vallas, who touts a more centrist, conservative agenda.
LIGHTFOOT IS OUT: CHICAGO MAYOR OUT FOUR YEARS AFTER BREAKING ONTO SCENE AS RISING STAR
As of now, there are no recount challenges from the candidates. Lightfoot conceded on Tuesday night, saying she called Vallas and Johnson to congratulate them and offer support.
Both candidates have experience but hold different approaches to crime, education, finances, and other big-ticket matters. Here are the two candidates vying to become the next leader of Chicago.
Brandon Johnson
Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, attracted voters with his background in education and experience living on the West Side of Chicago, an area riddled with homelessness, crime, and gun violence.
He entered the race with low coverage but swiftly became the election race's underdog, gaining popularity and surpassing Lightfoot in multiple polls.
Johnson was best known in the Cook County area for authoring a measure that would prevent landlords from refusing to rent properties to those with certain criminal records. In 2020, he authored a nonbinding resolution to redirect funds from policing and incarceration services to programs promoting community health and safety.
Lightfoot, in her ads targeting Johnson, claimed he wanted to "defund the police," a hot-button topic that exploded on the national scene after the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. However, Johnson and his supporters continued to fight back against those claims, advocating to increase funding in several areas to combat crime rather than solely increasing police force numbers.
"No one has a greater incentive for this city to work and be safe than I do. But I'm not alone," Johnson said. "There are families and individuals like me in every single neighborhood that want what I want. Safer neighborhoods. Excellent schools. Real investments in housing, mental health, and public transportation."
He was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union before he announced his candidacy. At the time of the endorsement, he called the union "one of the fiercest, most progressive unions" in the country. If elected, he said he would increase the school budget to $1 billion to improve school structures and programs, as well as hire professionals, to increase students' proficiency.
Johnson also hopes to invest in affordable housing, mental health, and jobs to bring down crime. He said Lightfoot's policies have culminated in an unsafe city with a declining economy.
"She's failed to keep Chicago safe, balance the budget without raising property taxes, or make real investments in communities and the people that live in them," Johnson said before the election. "The polls are clear. Chicago voters are ready to move on from her failed leadership."
Paul Vallas
Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, took a more strict and conservative approach to his campaign, putting a majority of his focus on battling Chicago crime.
He ran in 2019, earning only 5% of the vote, and endorsed Lightfoot to become mayor. In this election, he differentiated himself among the nine candidates who ran in 2023 with a hard-line message on crime.
In his victory speech on Tuesday, he said he would devote his energy to addressing public safety by calling former police officers back to the force who left out of frustration with Lightfoot's administration.
“Public safety is the fundamental right of every American. It is a civil right, and it is the principal responsibility of government,” Vallas said. “And we will have a safe Chicago. We will make Chicago the safest city in America."
He drew attention to the city's rising violent crime rate, stating he would replace Chicago Police Department leaders and put forth a plan to improve arrest rates and prosecute more misdemeanor crimes, something that resonated with voters in high-crime areas.
Progressive voters have united against Vallas for his past support of law enforcement and his endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police, which recently came under fire for inviting Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
He also was scrutinized over a Chicago Tribune report that showed his Twitter account liking offensive or racist posts about Lightfoot, to which Vallas said his account was breached.
Despite registering as a Democrat, Vallas positioned himself as to the right of Lightfoot and further right than Johnson. He was the only white candidate among the nine, which included seven black candidates and one Hispanic candidate.