Chicago City Wire

On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson traveled to Los Angeles to attend the Grammy’s. He attended an gala with comedian Deray Davis, rappers “Twista” and “GLC” and fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, according to Eventnoire.com.

As usual, Johnson attended the event alone.

He has been in office for almost a year, but Brandon Johnson has yet to appear at a public event with his wife, Stacie.

City observers note her complete absence from the public eye is a departure from tradition-- and quite peculiar.

"Normally the Mayor's spouse shows up at a few City Council meetings, press conferences or ribbon-cutting ceremonies," says an alderman who spoke with Chicago City Wire, but asked not be named. We have not seen her, in fact I've never heard her voice."

As the city's first lady, Stacie Johnson has an office at the Chicago Cultural Center, plus Chicago police protection and a security detail who drive her wherever she needs to go. So far, she has demurred to use her platform.

"We're not expecting her to be Maggie Daley, but she should show up at some point," says one City Hall employee who prefers to remain anonymous. 

To be sure, Daley, who also had three children, one of whom who died while her husband, Richard M. Daley, was a sitting state senator running for Cook County State's Attorney, entered the "First Lady" role with considerably more experience in public life.

Her father-in-law was longtime Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. 

Maggie Daley served on the auxilary board of the Art Institute and the Women's Board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She later created the "Gallery 37" arts program and took a job as a consultant to the non-profit Academy of Achievement.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's wife, Amy Rule, was far less public than Daley. She did work on public charitable causes, including Misericordia, which houses adults with developmental disabilities, and the Urban Alliance, which recruits CPS students for internships with Chicago companies. 

Rule also traveled to Brussels to hobnob with NATO diplomats and promote the City of Chicago.

Amy Eshelman was regularl by the side of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She focused on youth initiatives.

In October, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cited his family obligations in claiming he was “too busy” to travel to the U.S. border.

“I'm doing all of this with a black wife, raising 3 black children on the west side of Chicago,” Johnson said.