(UnitedVoice.com) – Chicago has not had a Republican mayor since 1931. For nearly a century, Democrats have run the city that sees so much violence each year that it is nicknamed “Ch-Iraq.” Crime in the city is out of control by most standards, but the city continues to elect Democrats over and over again. In recent years their choices have become more radical — and now they’ve done it again.
Chicago Voters Signal Desire For Change
In February, Lori Lightfoot became the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose her re-election bid. Her defeat was seen as a widespread message from voters who were sick of the rampant crime in the city. In 2022, there were at least 695 murders in Chicago. Although that was a decrease of more than 100 from the previous year, it was still incredibly high. Carjackings, robberies, and other crimes were also up.
The desire for safety was highlighted by the fact that Paul Vallas (D), a former public school executive, came in first place in the initial vote. He’d run on a tough-on-crime platform that appealed to those who were sick and tired of the violence.
On Tuesday, April 4, Vallas faced off against progressive Brandon Johnson in the run-off election. And voters made a shocking choice.
Election Day in the Windy City
In a victory speech on Tuesday night, Johnson thanked the city for electing him mayor. The far-Left candidate was the underdog in the race but somehow managed to pull out the win. Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan discussed the results. Specifically, many of the votes for the mayor-elect came from the most crime-ridden neighborhoods.
Here's a map of violent crime in Chicago over the last five years (left) and a map of mayoral election results by precint (right).
The areas hit hardest by violence voted for Brandon Johnson, who campaigned hard on alternatives to policing, instead of tough-on-crime Paul Vallas. pic.twitter.com/jqQaXcz5p8
— Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) April 5, 2023
Johnson, who once supported defunding the police, had to clarify his position. According to CBS News, the Democrat claimed almost 40% of the emergency calls in the city were related to mental health problems. He said it wasn’t “strategic” to ask the police to respond to those calls.
During the campaign, Johnson, who is black, turned the run-off into a race war of sorts. He claimed the campaign was “about black labor versus white wealth,” The Guardian reported. He went on to say that it was about giving black people “access to the very public accommodations [that they] fought for, especially after emancipation.” He claimed that is what the “descendants of slaves” in the city are “fighting for.”
When Johnson was criticized throughout the campaign, he blamed it on his blackness — not his policies. It looks like the message worked.
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