(National Review) Chicago voters on Tuesday elected far-left activist and teachers’-union lobbyist Brandon Johnson to be the next mayor of the nation’s third-largest city.
The Associated Press called the race for Johnson just after 9:30 p.m. in Chicago. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Johnson won 284,108 votes, or 51.5 percent. He defeated Paul Vallas, a more moderate Democrat, who won 268,115 voters, or 48.6 percent.
“You know, they said this would never happen,” Johnson said during a raucous victory party Tuesday night.
“To the Chicagoans who did not vote for me, here’s what I want you to know … that I care about you, that I value you. I want to hear from you. I want to work with you. And I’ll be the mayor for you, too,” he said. “This campaign has always been about building a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all the people of Chicago.”
Chicago for the People! https://t.co/hmJlDj8M52
— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) April 5, 2023
Johnson called Chicago a world-class city with natural beauty that has repeatedly been the conscience of the nation. He said he is part of a “multicultural, multigenerational movement that is literally capturing the imagination of not just the city of Chicago, but the rest of the world.”
“Let’s take this bold progressive movement around these United States of America,” he said. “Chicago, we can show the country, we can show the world what’s possible when we stand on our values.”
The race was tight for much of the evening. Vallas had an early lead, but Johnson eventually overtook him, and his margin continued to expand as more precincts reported. Vallas conceded late Tuesday.
I called Brandon Johnson a short time ago to congratulate him on winning this election. It’s critically important that we all come together now and work collaboratively to move our city forward. I thank my supporters and team, and especially my family. Thank you, Chicago.
— Paul Vallas (@PaulVallas) April 5, 2023
Johnson, 47, is a Cook County commissioner, a former social studies teacher, and a paid lobbyist for the radical Chicago Teachers Union. He ran as a decidedly far-left activist, and was backed by Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Socialists of America.
