Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, has emphasized the importance of addressing not only traditional needs such as education, housing, health care, transportation, and jobs for Black residents but also a sixth priority: environmental justice. “Tell me how much you love Black people,” Johnson said. “Don’t ask me how we’ll celebrate Black History Month if you’re not talking about funding public accommodations.”
On education, Mayor Johnson’s policies have aligned closely with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), opposing standardized testing and school choice options. The Board of Education under his administration has worked to reduce accountability measures and restrict both charter and private school alternatives for families in underperforming schools. While graduation rates among Black students have reached 84 percent, only 10 percent meet SAT reading standards and just eight percent meet math benchmarks.
Johnson and the CTU opposed the “Invest in Kids Act,” ending scholarships for over 9,000 low-income students seeking better educational opportunities. Public charter schools serving predominantly Black or Latino students receive significantly less funding per pupil compared to district-run schools.
In terms of affordable housing, progress has been slow despite promises of transformation through initiatives like a $1.25 billion “Green Social Housing” bond. In 2024, only 4,039 residential permits were issued in Chicago—far fewer than cities like Houston—and just 505 affordable units resulted from $324 million in city subsidies.
Additional requirements on developers to prove no partners profited from slavery before the Civil War have created delays in new construction projects.
Mayor Johnson’s health care agenda largely continues existing programs funded by temporary federal pandemic relief. His efforts to reopen community mental health centers have seen limited success; only five out of twelve closed centers have reopened so far.
Violence remains a significant challenge for Chicago. Although there have been slight declines in crime rates consistent with national trends, Chicago still leads major U.S. cities in murders and shootings involving youth. The decision to discontinue use of ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology has coincided with incidents where victims did not receive timely emergency response due to lack of 911 calls.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw prolonged closures of public schools under CTU leadership—78 weeks—which correlated with increased violence affecting school-age children.
Chicago’s transit system faces ongoing safety concerns as ridership remains at roughly 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels and violent crime rates on transit property are higher than a decade ago. Only about 135 full-time police officers patrol the entire system while most stations rely on unarmed security guards.
Economic growth in Chicago has stagnated relative to other large metropolitan areas due to increased taxes and regulatory burdens that affect small businesses disproportionately. Proposals such as the “Bring Chicago Home” tax would primarily impact commercial property transactions; additional taxes and fees continue to raise operating costs for local businesses.
Environmental justice issues persist despite being highlighted by Mayor Johnson as a priority area: more than 412,000 lead service lines remain in use across the city, contributing to disparities such as a life expectancy gap exceeding twenty years between neighborhoods with different racial demographics.
Recent budgets approved under Johnson’s leadership include significant property tax increases along with revenue generated from traffic enforcement measures that critics say disproportionately affect low-income residents.
Spending on migrant services—including nearly $400 million allocated by the city—has drawn criticism from some who argue these funds could be directed toward longstanding needs within struggling neighborhoods.
Between 2000 and 2020, Chicago lost approximately 265,000 Black residents—a trend driven by concerns over safety, education quality, and rising taxes among working- and middle-class families with children.
