Brandon Johnson (Illinois)
2023 - Present
2027
1
Brandon Johnson is the Mayor of Chicago in Illinois. He assumed office on May 15, 2023. His current term ends on May 17, 2027.
Johnson ran for election for Mayor of Chicago in Illinois. He won in the general runoff election on April 4, 2023.
Johnson received a bachelor's degree in human services and youth development and a master's degree in teaching from Aurora University.[1] He began his career working as a constituent service director for Illinois State Senator Don Harmon from 2003 to 2004, and worked as chief of staff for Illinois State Senator Deborah L. Graham (D) from 2005 to 2007.[2] Johnson worked as a social studies teacher in Chicago Public Schools from 2007 to 2018. In 2011, he became an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union.[2]
In 2018, Johnson ran for the District 1 seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. He defeated incumbent Richard Boykin (D) in the primary 50.4% to 49.6%, and won the general election unopposed. Johnson won re-election to the seat in 2022.
Johnson was elected Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, in 2023, defeating incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the general election and advancing to a runoff. Johnson finished second in the general election with 21.6% of the vote, behind Paul Vallas with 32.9%. In the runoff, Johnson defeated Vallas 52.2% to 47.8%. Johnson's campaign website said, "As a public school teacher, union organizer and Cook County commissioner, Brandon is the only candidate who has been a leader in our communities in the fights for fully funded public schools, affordable housing, green jobs and access to mental health care. [...] Brandon stands for the people, not entrenched special interests and political insiders. He will advance smart, innovative solutions that address the root causes of violence and poverty."[3]
The Chicago Tribune's Alice Yin and Gregory Royal Pratt wrote, "The runoff campaign promised to be contentious from the beginning as Vallas and Johnson represent[ed] starkly different wings of the Democratic Party. [...] Vallas tapped into a less tangible sense that Chicago’s cops have been left behind, and his candidacy was about returning the respect he said they deserve." Yin and Pratt described Johnson's campaign saying, "The progressive umbrella under which Johnson’s followers fell were motivated by his campaign promise to rid Chicago of its 'politics of old' and 'tale of two cities,' slogans that he buttressed with sweeping proposals to ramp up community investments — as well as raise some taxes. Johnson, while stressing the concerns of crime, pitched his candidacy as not that of another politician’s quest for higher office but as a movement to bring 'the people' to the fifth floor of City Hall."[4]
Biography
Brandon Johnson earned a B.A. in human services, youth development programming, and management and an M.A. in teaching from Aurora University. Johnson’s career experience includes working as a teacher with Chicago Public Schools and as an organizer with the Chicago Teacher's Union.[5]
Elections
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2023)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Brandon Johnson defeated Paul Vallas in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 4, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 52.2 | 319,481 | |
| Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 47.8 | 293,033 | ||
| Total votes: 612,514 | ||||
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General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 28, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 32.9 | 185,743 | |
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 122,093 | |
| Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 16.8 | 94,890 | ||
| Jesus Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 13.7 | 77,222 | ||
| Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 51,567 | ||
| Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan) | 2.2 | 12,257 | ||
| Kambium Buckner (Nonpartisan) | 2.0 | 11,092 | ||
| Sophia King (Nonpartisan) | 1.3 | 7,191 | ||
| Roderick Sawyer (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,440 | ||
| Johnny Logalbo (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 15 | ||
| Keith Judge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 5 | ||
| Stephen Hodge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | ||
| Ryan Friedman (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 3 | ||
| Stephanie Ann Mustari (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Bridgett Palmer (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 564,524 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Montelle Gaji (Nonpartisan)
- Raymond Lopez (Nonpartisan)
- Frederick Collins (Nonpartisan)
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2022)
General election
General election for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1
Incumbent Brandon Johnson defeated James Humay in the general election for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (D) | 92.9 | 71,077 | |
| James Humay (L) | 7.1 | 5,457 | ||
| Total votes: 76,534 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1
Incumbent Brandon Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson | 100.0 | 30,702 | |
| Total votes: 30,702 | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1
James Humay advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | James Humay | 100.0 | 108 | |
| Total votes: 108 | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1
Brandon Johnson won election in the general election for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (D) | 100.0 | 88,590 | |
| Total votes: 88,590 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1
Brandon Johnson defeated incumbent Richard Boykin in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson | 50.4 | 24,863 | |
| Richard Boykin | 49.6 | 24,426 | ||
| Total votes: 49,289 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Brandon Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Brandon Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy events
On October 4, 2024, Chicago Board of Education members Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano, Michelle Morales, Jianan Shi, and Tanya Woods announced their resignations.[6] Their resignations come after a budget meeting in July 2024, where the board rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposal to take out a loan to cover teacher pensions.[7]
On October 7, 2024, Johnson announced six interim appointments to the board: Olga Bautista, Michilla Blaise, Mary Gardner, Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, Deborah Pope, and Frank Niles Thomas.[8]
On October 31, 2024, newly appointed board president Mitchell Ikenna Johnson resigned following criticism of posts made on Ikenna Johnson's Facebook account in the previous year.[9]
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Mayor of Chicago |
Officeholder Mayor of Chicago |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Brandon Johnson: Organizer. Anti-establishment. Servant-leader. From middle school teacher to Chicago mayor." April 9, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chicago Public Library, "Mayor Brandon Johnson Biography," accessed July 26, 2024
- ↑ Brandon Johnson's campaign website, "ON THE ISSUES," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Brandon Johnson, Chicago’s mayor-elect, vows to represent all: ‘Today, the dream is alive’" April 6, 2023
- ↑ Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago, "About," accessed December 7, 2022
- ↑ Axios "Seven Chicago Board of Education Members Resign" accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Axios "Chicago Public Schools Faces Budget Deficit Debate" accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ ABC7 Chicago, "Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces New Interim Chicago Board of Education Appointments," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ WBEZ Chicago, “CPS Board of Education president resigns" accessed October 31, 2024
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lori Lightfoot |
Mayor of Chicago 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Richard Boykin (D) |
Cook County Board of Commissioners District 1 2018-2023 |
Succeeded by Tara Stamps (D) |
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