PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE

CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977

What to know about Chicago ahead of the Democratic National Convention
New polling from the Illinois Policy Institute shows 63% of Chicago voters had an unfavorable opinion of progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson

CHICAGO (Aug. 19, 2024) – As the Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago this week, city and state leaders and their progressive policies will be on display in what is too often a poor light.

New polling from the Illinois Policy Institute shows progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson’s disapproval rating has grown to 63% – the highest of any first-term mayor in the city. Johnson’s unpopularity has grown as the city has struggled with issues related to crime, education, taxes and jobs.

Voters rejected Johnson’s real estate transfer tax hike in March. He has failed to gain support for any of the $12 billion in new taxes he and his allies proposed. He has also been unable to win support from the state of Illinois for $1.1 billion in extra funds for Chicago Public Schools.

“Delegates enjoying the city for the DNC will experience the clean streets and reinforced public safety measures the city implemented for political elites. It’s an incomplete picture. Everyday Chicagoans are still very much struggling and tiring of the status quo,” said Josh Bandoch, head of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute.

What to know about Chicago: 

Crime:

• Under the progressive leadership of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, more felony cases were dropped and the homicide arrest rate hit a 24-year low in 2023.
• Violent offenses are up across the board. Robberies have grown 21% from 2023 to 2024 and school-based violent crimes have spiked 26% between 2022 and 2023.
• Chicago has become the car-crime capital of the Midwest. The city has faced elevated carjackings and record-high motor vehicle thefts in recent years.
• Chicago remains an outlier, with violent crime rates higher than the national average and higher than other major cities.

Economy:

• Chicago is facing a projected $986 million budget deficit next year.
• The Chicago metro area faces the highest unemployment rate of the 50 largest cities in the nation.
• Nine major corporations moved their headquarters and offices out of the city in the past few years.
• The city’s population has dropped for nine straight years, now sitting at its lowest level since 1920.
• The Loop now has a record-high office vacancy rate of 25.8%. Notably, the area faced intense riots and loitering during summer 2020.
• Rents across Chicago have risen 41% since 2015, with renters now paying an average of $2,200 a month.

Education:

• Citywide, just 26% of 3rd-8th graders are reading at grade level and only 18% are performing math proficiently.
• Chronic absenteeism plagues 40% of Chicago Public Schools students.
• District spending has nearly doubled since 2012, despite student outcomes worsening.
• City leaders pushed Illinois to end the state’s only school choice program, a scholarship program that helped 15,000 low-income and mostly minority students find educations that suited their unique needs.
• The Chicago Teachers Union is the city’s new political machine, backing their former lobbyist and funding his successful run for mayor. Now it has made over $10 billion worth of new demands to his appointees on subjects unrelated to benefits or salary, such as demanding electric buses, teacher housing stipends and money for migrant families.

“Residents want to see progress on their top concerns – less crime, lower taxes and more housing affordability. It’s time city and state leaders heed them – every time a progressive policy is placed on the ballot, it’s soundly defeated,” Bandoch said. “National politicians should be hesitant before embracing policies that have failed in Chicago.”

MEDIA ALERT: Illinois Policy Institute experts will be available for interviews during the convention week. 

To read more about Chicago today, visit illin.is/DNC.

For interviews or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.