Posted on April 5, 2023

Brandon Johnson Wins Chicago Mayor Election; Paul Vallas Concedes

Gregory Pratt and Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, April 4, 2023

Brandon Johnson has defeated Paul Vallas to become the next mayor of Chicago, the Associated Press has declared.

In an extremely close race, Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer, squeaked out a stunning victory over Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO.

Johnson, 47, had emerged as the most popular progressive among the initial nine candidates, then bested the more conservative Vallas in the runoff to take Chicago’s top elected office Tuesday.

With a campaign was bankrolled largely by political funds tied to CTU and affiliated unions, Johnson focused his run around themes of equity, championing working people and addressing the root causes of crime. He spoke regularly about “investing in people,” and his platform includes new taxes that he says will mostly affect wealthier people, such as a higher real estate transfer tax on properties worth more than $1 million.

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