City Government
Brandon Johnson Elected Mayor of Chicago
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson became the 57th mayor of Chicago Tuesday night when he defeated fellow Democrat Paul Vallas in a run-off election. Johnson garnered 286,647 votes to 270,775 votes for Vallas. Succeeding Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the 47-year-old Johnson will lead the third-largest city in the U.S., which has seen a marked increase in violent crime over the last five years including murder and car thefts
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson became the 57th mayor of Chicago Tuesday night when he defeated fellow Democrat Paul Vallas in a run-off election. Johnson garnered 286,647 votes to 270,775 votes for Vallas.
Succeeding Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the 47-year-old Johnson will lead the third-largest city in the U.S., which has seen a marked increase in violent crime over the last five years including murder and car thefts.
Johnson and Vallas, who both edged out Lightfoot in the February contest that included nine candidates, had different messaging on one of the city’s most divisive issues: policing.
According to the Associated Press, Pallas favored hiring more police officers while Johnson wanted more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and organizer, will take office next month and be sworn in on May 15, 2023. The Associated Press and ABC7 News were the sources for this report.
