Jim Vondruska/Reuters
Democrat Brandon Johnson has been elected mayor of Chicago, defeating his opponent, Paul Vallas, Tuesday night in nail-biting fashion. The close race was called just after 10:30 p.m. ET by the Associated Press and others, capping a hotly contested race that largely centered around questions of crime and public safety.
Johnson’s victory is a monumental one for progressives as Democrats face pushback for criminal justice reform policies amid wall-to-wall coverage of headline-grabbing crimes, especially in the conservative media.
The former Cook County commissioner and union organizer was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union and United Working Families. He even earned the support of Bernie Sanders, who came to Chicago on Thursday to rally support for Johnson.