PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE

CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977

Chicago mayoral election: Brandon Johnson wins
CTU-backed Brandon Johnson beats Paul Vallas for Chicago mayor

CHICAGO (April 4, 2023) — With 99% of precincts reporting, Brandon Johnson has narrowly edged out Paul Vallas to become the next mayor of Chicago.

Johnson’s platform included nearly $800 million in proposed tax hikes that would affect Chicago residents, businesses, tourists and even suburbanites in surrounding counties.

His campaign benefited from the financial backing of the Chicago Teachers Union, which, along with its affiliates and other teachers’ unions, pumped $5.6 million into Johnson’s campaign.

Statement from Mailee Smith, senior director of labor policy for the nonpartisan Illinois Policy Institute:

“The Chicago Teachers Union has become the newest political machine in Illinois, contributing $2.3 million to mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s campaign. The CTU now has expanded its control over the city of Chicago – and the country is watching to see how the union will exercise that power. On the campaign trail, Johnson refused to say he wouldn’t operate in lockstep with CTU leadership if elected. If that’s the path Johnson takes as mayor, city residents could face one of the most radical political agendas in the country.”

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