Chicago City Wire

Brandon Johnson, Chicago Mayoral candidate of the City of Chicago, said on March 8, that his rival Paul Vallas is an undercover republican whose policies have proven crippling for the state. “The reason why folks are being forced out of the city of Chicago is because one, it’s unsafe, and they’re burdened by the property tax burden that was created in the 1990s by Paul Vallas, a $2.5 billion tax bill that the city of Chicago has had to inherit because of the failures of the ’90s," Johnson said.

 Johnson has also stated hiring more officers isn’t the answer to Chicago’s public safety challenges, and he plans to direct city dollars to address the “root causes of crime," adding he would “hire and promote” 200 detectives from within the department if elected mayor.

With their runoff battle set for April 28, after each emerged from a crowded field of nine candidates to rate as finalists for City Hall, Johnson spent much of their first debate accusing Vallas of being someone he rarely allowed voters to see during the primary.

Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools CEO, came in first in the Feb. 28 general election, receiving 33 percent of the vote. Johnson, a Cook County Commissioner, followed with 21 percent, according to the latest results. Mail-in ballots are still being processed by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.