Between Wisconsin and Chicago, today really is a critical day for democracy.
The runoff is between former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
Chicago will either have the most progressive mayor the city has ever had – Brandon Johnson
OR
Chicago will have the most conservative mayor since Mayor Daley – Paul Vallas.
Vallas has gone around the country destroying Public School Systems and promoting charter schools.
Vallas was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.
Vallas backed by a PAC founded by former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Vallas doesn’t even live in Chicago.
That’s 4 strikes against Vallas right off the bat.
rikyrah
Put my vote in for Johnson a couple of weeks ago.
It is this simple.
Vallas has gone around the country destroying Public School Systems.
And, he was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.
The combination of the two make him completely unqualified.
And, he doesn’t even live in Chicago.
narya
I have all fingers crossed for Brandon. I haven’t been in the more white districts of the city, but I’ve been around the north side and, yesterday, a bit west of Western, and I see Johnson signs everywhere. I see Vallas signs, too, and I know the places I go lean Johnson, but still. And this is a little trivial, but I like Johnson’s ads, too–they feature him talking about what he wants to do, whereas the Vallas ads are talking heads (mostly black ones, which tells you that he knows that who he needs to reach).
narya
@rikyrah: The FOP endorsement was all I needed to know. Some friends are working on the police accountability boards, and . . . let’s say they are not pleased with what they see.
smith
@narya: Unfortunately, in my neighborhood it’s all Vallas signs. We have a lot of cops living here, but it’s not remotely an all-white area. Hoping there’s support for Johnson that’s not expressed in yard signs.
narya
@smith: Gotta say, if I were living in a cop-heavy neighborhood, I might not put out a Brandon sign . . . A friend lives in Jefferson Park, and I suspect it’s similar there.
smith
@narya: It’s interesting, because we also have a lot of teachers here. When the teachers went on strike, there were at least as many yard signs supporting the CTU as there are Vallas signs now.
Another Scott
Knowing almost nothing about the candidates, that’s a compelling argument for me. I hope Chicago voters take it seriously as well.
Fingers crossed.
Cheers,
Scott.
Kay
Betsy DeVos’ candidate. Also the candidate of the National Review.
If throwing more money at police and promising them complete impunity and no oversight worked for crime-fighting, Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago would have been crime-free. It won’t work for Vallas either.
We spend A TON on law enforcement and we completely kiss their asses. How has that worked out for us?
smith
@Kay: Yeah, just what Chicago needs: more feral cops.
MGB
Long Time lurker and long time Chicago resident.
Vallas I’d giving Chicago back to the Daley machine, and I don’t want that to happen again. Every school system Vallas has lead had failed, plus he lives in Palos Heights.
Last poll I saw was split even, with around 9% unsure. So as always, it’s ground game. I mailed my ballot last week.
rikyrah
@Kay:
I will remind people that this is the city who has spent TWO HUNDRED FIFTY MILLION to settle Police Misconduct lawsuits (years 2018-2020).
Do I mind paying taxes for police salaries?
No.
Even though they BEGIN making $100,000 after only 18 months on the job.
What I resent, as a taxpayer, is being taxed twice.
Paying for their salary
And when they abuse their positions and harm my fellow citizens.
MGB
@narya: I live in Albany Park, but my work takes me to Portage and Norwood Park. I think I saw one Johnson sign when I was by Devon and Central. But happy to see a sign on a home over there.
Princess
I feel like Vallas will be more conservative than Daley — or maybe it’s that the scale isn’t adequate to speak about them on a single line. I always had the sense that Daley was a Chicagoan. Vallas is an opportunist who goes where people pay him oney and he doesn’t even live in Chicago. I can’t imagine Daley, for all his faults, living in Palos Heights.
Eljai
@Kay: As if I didn’t already have a hundred and one reasons to not vote for Vallas, that Betsy DeVos connection definitely clinched it.
I early voted for Brandon last week. Then I deleted my NextDoor account. NextDoor is somewhat useful for helping with lost pets or finding used kitchen chairs. But I’m in a district with a bunch of wealthy conservatives and I decided I no longer need to subject myself to those whinyass bitches.
narya
@MGB: Yeah, my Jeff Park friend has gotten TWO Vallas texts just today. (He is voting for Johnson.) He’s not a yard-sign kind of person, but he also is hesitant to let his (cop) neighbors know his politics. Fingers crossed . . . .
prostratedragon
Amen and amen to all the above. I mailed my vote for Brandon Johnson last week.
mrmoshpotato
Mailed my ballot at the post office yesterday.
Hopefully we’ll be telling Palos Paul to fuck off tonight. Maybe he and Rauner can go to Italy together.
Delk
And it sure is ominous outside today. Hi MGB—Lincoln Square here.
Darkrose
@rikyrah: Wait what? MFer doesn’t live in the city?!
Kent
Weird. That would be an absolute deal-breaker in any city I have ever lived in. Like I can’t even imagine someone from Beaverton or Lake Oswego ever winning the Portland Mayor’s office.
Or someone from Yonkers or White Plains winning mayor of NYC.
mrmoshpotato
@Delk: The sky has falling potential, but I’m not holding my breath.
ETA – actually maybe it’ll storm tonight (after looking at the forecast) 🤞
Delk
@mrmoshpotato: yeah… weather forecasts have been so ‘accurate’ lately.
rikyrah
@Darkrose:
They put up that he’s gotten some sort of house in the city.
Muthaphucka IS NOT a Chicago person.
BarcaChicago
@rikyrah: A big YES to everything you have posted here! I got nothing more to add bc you’ve covered it, except that between this race and the WI races it’s going to be a very rough and long day waiting for the results to come in :-/
PS Very happy to discover your blog!
jackmac
I would point out that Harold Washington, the city’s first Black mayor, was also pretty damn progressive. And he had the much heavier lift with almost unanimous opposition from the remnants of the White Democratic machine.