Brandon Johnson, Cook County commissioner, union organizer and former teacher, beat Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas in the runoff election to replace ousted Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Johnson, who was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), is a progressive who has supported the “defund the police” movement. However, during his campaign he promised to maintain current police levels and focus on mental health treatment, affordable housing for all and work programs for youth to combat Chicago’s rampant crime. Johnson said he would pay for the programs by taxing the “ultra-rich,” including imposing a “head-tax” on employers and adding taxes for hotel rooms, despite opposition by some City Council members and state Legislators.
