It’s official: After ruling out a bid in 2019 & 2023, US Rep. Mike Quigley says he’s running for Chicago mayor in next year’s election.

“The Uptown Theatre, we are here for a reason. … it’s this great asset that needs a lot of our help.” Quigley: "Well, the easy part is to tell you Chicago is the greatest city in the world. ...
We have everything we need to succeed. But one thing we haven't had is the courage make tough choices. That changes now."

At Mayor Brandon Johnson’s town hall on the 2026 budget in Desmon Yancy’s ward. Some leaders from the alder opposition here too. A community organizer is passing around these questions for the audience to ask:
Yancy, who voted for the alternate budget, says Mayors team “refused” to share agenda presentation against of time: “I’m not sure what the secrecy is all about”

Mayor Brandon Johnson tells reporters: “I don’t support a budget that places such an incredible burden on working people. At a time when President Trump has made life quite difficult for working people across this country, the city of Chicago should not be adding to that burden.” Johnson: “There's a reason why we have six cranes up and 18 that are committed.”

Full house streaming in for Mayor Brandon Johnson presser unveiling brand new Board of Ed following Friday shakeup Group of protesters chant “This board is not legit,” “Not legit,” talking over mayor as he’s about to speak. Bishop Larry Trotter asks them for silence

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, the mayor’s deputy COS, addresses GardaWorld migrant contract: “These are all terrible decisions. That’s the challenge. One thing I learned in government … Procurement is wild. … We don’t have time. We got folks sleeping on floors in police stations.” Pacione-Zayas argues this was best option bc of ability to skip 6-18mo procurement process: “We have to clear out the police stations. Period, the end. The conditions are inhumane … We had to piggyback on this contract so that we can move and get these pre fabricated structures”

During committee hearing for his confirmation as next CPD’s next Supt, Chief Larry Snelling gave this defense of cops: “There are a lot of things that we can do better as a police department, but we have to support those ppl who are standing between those who will do you harm.” Snelling mentions someone who suggested “Imagine a world w/o the police.” He replies: “I would like to be a part of that world, but in order to imagine a world w/o police, I have to imagine a world w/o murder …These are all things that ppl who don’t necessarily want to hear.”

Chicago has seen over 11,500 asylum seekers since August 2022, city says

5,445 are in city shelters (a 43.5% increase from Jan)

941 waiting in police stations/OHare/Midway

“We inherited a flawed approach to this mission,” new dep mayor for immigration says

Dep mayor Beatriz Ponce De León reiterates Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pledge to move all migrants out of police stations, though no hard timeline: “CPD has been an incredible partner. Not perfect, but a good partner in opening their doors and having people there keeping them safe.”

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, who first introduced a Treatment Not Trauma ordinance in 2020, is now presiding as chair over the health committee where it stalled for a hearing on reopening the mental health clinics/a non police 911 response https://t.co/5zg7QwGrlz

https://twitter.com/byaliceyin/status/1682809595020947458

During 2023 race, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot grappled with criticism of her reversal on reopening clinics shuttered under Rahm Emanuel. This was one of her rebuttals in Jan. Now the CDPH officials who defended her are testifying under a new admin https://t.co/tt4NJcD5UOchicagotribune.com/politics/elect…

Standing room only now in this packed Wright College gymnasium as Ald. Sposato holds a community meeting on city’s plan to turn this space into a migrant shelter in order to relieve 16th District CPD station Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, incurs the first round of boos as he says: “As chancellor, I am confident that this will go well.” Sposato tries to calm them down with a “We’re better than this,” but crowd keeps yelling “bullsh*t.”

Brandon Johnson opens up his City Club speech with a ribbing of former ex-city chief labor negotiator Jim Franczek: “Apparently he’s looking for references. Sorry, I had to do that one Jim, that one’s for Karen Lewis.” Mayor Lightfoot fired him last week, CST reported Johnson: “Let’s start with our city’s structural deficit. … to make ends meet, administration after admin have pursued a terrible trifecta:” Complicated financial schemes, high interest rates, asset loans and short sighted pension holidays

Brandon Johnson is seated for a community forum with the Coalition for Spiritual & Public Leadership in Bronzeville. It seems the organizers were hoping for Paul Vallas too but flipped his sign on the chair to “absent” 15 min into the event CSPL told me Vallas campaign committed to this event twice, fwiw. Anyways, Johnson takes the mic now and says his education plan includes “child care for all,” doubling youth employment. Says he’s committed to standing up unspecified “programs” within first 100 days

Brandon Johnson is 47 now. The mayoral candidate blew out candles at a Brighton Park rally where he repeated that he was leading a “multicultural movement” and said: “I did make my wish. I think you know what it was.” Paul Vallas also held a “Latinos for Vallas” rally last night where Juan Rangel spoke of his “respect” for them: “I'll tell you how he respects our community. Because he says the 'Latino' community. Not the Latinx. Not the ‘Latiné,’ whatever that may mean. The Latino community.”

Paul Vallas easily won the more affluent downtown/Lincoln Park wards, but Brandon Johnson got a decent chunk of Lakeview and narrowly beat him in Uptown and everything north. The never-ending saga of the lakefront liberal continues! chicagoelections.gov/en/election-re…

https://twitter.com/byaliceyin/status/1629560328173371393

Lori Lightfoot swept all 16 majority Black wards but Willie Wilson took a critical chunk. Brandon Johnson consistently came in third except in 20 and 5 — and 29, 3 and 18, where Paul Vallas was second.

A visibly shaken Mayor Lightfoot conceded the race just before 9 p.m. and said she will be “rooting and praying for our next mayor to deliver for the people of the city for years to come.”
“Obviously, we didn't win the election today, but I stand here with my head held high.” Here's @royalpratt and I on how we got here, witnessing the first incumbent mayor of Chicago lose reelection in decades: chicagotribune.com/politics/elect…

please do not text me anything further on the election tonight unless it’s an update on this

https://twitter.com/robertloerzel/status/1630403228893425665

hard-hitting journalism is a team effort

https://twitter.com/silber_lining/status/1630416089724207107?s=46&t=PQ7Jqqfwb_lvYHmW4Ea_XQ

Intros for tonight’s mayoral candidates forum are underway.
Kam Buckner stresses that he is a “son of Chicago.” Ja’Mal Green says he’s “tired of politicians.” Brandon Johnson reiterates that he is an “organizer.” Sophia King touts “collaboration, not confrontation.” Johnny Logalbo says mental health is priority. Roderick Sawyer promises a city that can “work.”