“It’s obvious that public safety is a topic that has been on the minds of the people of the City of Chicago for a very long time. This is a very serious problem. To unite the city, we have to sit down and talk to everyone. »
— Brendan Johnson, Cook County commissioner and labor organizer, speaking the day after his election as mayor of Chicago. Little known to the general public before launching his campaign, the progressive candidate triumphed in the second round of the ballot with 51% of the vote against 49% for Paul Vallas, former head of the public schools of Chicago, who had proposed to increase the police force. to fight crime. In contrast, Johnson, 47, had pledged to leverage investments in education, jobs, housing and mental health to tackle the issue. Supported by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a former mayor, he will officially succeed Mayor Lori Lightfood on May 15 as the head of the third American city.
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