(ConservativeFreePress.com) – On Tuesday, NBC news reported that Brandon Johnson won the elections and became the next mayor of Chicago. The progressive candidate and former teacher led a campaign that heavily focused on the racial and economic disparities in the city and has even managed to come back following some of his previous comments about defunding the police.
Johnson defeated in the run-off election the moderate Paul Vallas, a former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, who had promised to help increase the numbers of the Chicago police force in order to curb gun violence.
On Tuesday, Vallas revealed to his supporters that he had called Johnson and “told him I absolutely expect him to be the next mayor.”
This is an important victory for Johnson, 46, a Cook County commissioner, activist, and member of the Chicago Teachers Union, who had been polling fifth in the first round of the election held on Feb. 28. Despite the polling numbers he managed to secure second place and finish right behind Vallas.
In his victory speech, Johnson referred to the 270,000 people who did not vote for him in the election stating that “I care about you, I value you and I want to hear from you. I want to work with you. And I’ll be the mayor for you too.” He also focused a lot on the need for new beginnings and acknowledged that he won the race on the 55th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
As he said, “Today, we did not just acknowledge the assassination of a dreamer,” but rather “Today the dream is alive.”
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