United States - Chicago Mayoral Elections
Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, holds mayoral elections every four years. The mayoral elections in Chicago follow a nonpartisan system, meaning candidates do not run under specific party affiliations. Heres an overview of the Chicago mayoral election process: Candidacy and Primary Election: Potential candidates interested in running for mayor must gather a specified number of petition signatures from registered voters in the city. These signatures are required to qualify for the ballot. If multiple candidates meet the petition signature requirements, a nonpartisan primary election, known as the municipal primary election, is held. The primary narrows down the field of candidates to the top two contenders who receive the most votes. General Election: Following the primary election, the top two candidates from the primary advance to the general election. The general election, held in February or April, is where Chicago residents cast their votes to elect the next mayor. The candidate who receives the majority of the votes in the general election becomes the mayor. Term of Office: The mayor of Chicago serves a four-year term. There are no term limits, so a mayor can run for re-election and serve consecutive terms if they choose to do so.
This election gives all citizens, regardless of wealth, a fair shot to be heard and participate in every step of the democratic process
Success in Chicagos mayoral election emboldened American progressives
The choice of Brandon Johnson as the next mayor of Chicago, Illinois, has shocked progressives, according to experts who see the race as a referendum on the future of the Democratic Party.
"People saw the results coming in and could hardly believe it," Illinois state senator and Democrat Robert Peters, who represents Chicagos 13th district, told Al Jazeera. "Its a testament to how far weve come in building a multi-generational working-class coalition."
Once seen as a long-shot candidate, the progressive Johnson ran in the runoff against Paul Velas, a conservative Democrat who pushed for a tough message on crime and support for law enforcement groups. announced.
But Johnson, a former teacher and union organizer, won 51.42 percent of the vote to Valas 48.58 percent, which he conceded Wednesday.
The election highlighted a split in the Democratic Party, with the emerging progressive movement fighting for support against the establishment wing of the party.
Experts say Vallas platform reflects concerns that Democrats could be seen as "soft on crime," a common criticism from Republicans who have blamed a rise in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. refers to
Velas counts the citys Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) among his supporters. During his campaign, he vowed to expand the citys policing, saying that Chicago had experienced a "total breakdown in law and order" in recent years.
Johnson, meanwhile, is campaigning on a more progressive platform. He advocates for criminal justice reform, including increased police accountability and greater investment in public and mental health services.
He also credits support from labor groups such as the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and US Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading progressive voice.
But Johnsons campaign has been dogged by accusations that he would "defend the police," calls that came after the 2020 killing of George Floyd, a black man who was strangled by an officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But he died after kneeling. - Posted on : 10-April-2023
Thank voters by Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson stepped out Wednesday to thank voters and talk about the citys challenges and priorities.
With 99% of precincts reporting, Johnson received 51% of the vote with 286,647 votes and Ballas received 49% with 270,775 votes.
Shortly after winning, Johnson shook hands with passengers at the Ceramic Red Line stop in Chinatown.
"Were working together to build a better, stronger and safer city," Johnson said.
Meeting the next mayor in person, Andrea Defel-Shavers was overcome with emotion and full of confidence for the future.
"Its time for a change. Lori Lightfoot has done a great job. Weve got to move in a positive direction, thats all," said DeFell-Shavers. - Posted on : 07-April-2023
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