Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 13
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Seeks 2nd Term as 2027 Race Tests Progressive Agenda
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 13

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Seeks 2nd Term as 2027 Race Tests Progressive Agenda

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 13

Summary

  • Brandon Johnson said he will run for a second term, ending months of speculation over his political plans in Chicago.
  • The 50-year-old mayor said he wants to double down on a working-class, progressive agenda focused on wages, social programs and public education.
  • Johnson plans a formal campaign launch Sunday at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center ahead of the nonpartisan February 2027 election.
  • The race will test a governing style that has embraced tax increases and clashed with moderates and business leaders while Chicago faces budget deficits and heavy pension obligations.
  • Johnson won office in 2023 after defeating incumbent Lori Lightfoot, making his re-election bid an early referendum on progressive leadership in the nation’s third-largest city.

Insights

With a looming billion-dollar deficit, can the mayor's ambitious affordability agenda survive the city's crushing financial reality?
Facing a massive school funding shortfall, what drastic measures might be taken to prevent devastating public education cuts?