Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his reelection campaign Saturday before a crowd of labor leaders, faith leaders, community organizers, and supporters, framing his first three years in office as a foundation for deeper transformation and pledging to make Chicago “the safest, most affordable big city in America.”
“Are you all ready for four more years, Chicago?” Johnson said at the rally, drawing cheers. “My name is Brandon Johnson, and I’m running for reelection in the greatest freaking city in the world, Chicago.”
Johnson, who took office in 2023, cast his campaign as a movement rooted in working-class organizing rather than a traditional political race. He emphasized that the effort belongs to residents, not to him alone.
“This is a movement and it belongs to all of us, the people,” he said.
The mayor highlighted what he described as significant accomplishments over his first term: a 60-year low in homicides last year, hundreds of millions of dollars invested in small businesses and public schools, reopened mental health clinics, and new protections for immigrant communities and Black transgender residents.
Johnson also defended his administration against criticism, acknowledging that “there have been moments when we’ve moved with urgency and people felt that they were not at the table.” He said he had learned from those moments.
The mayor took direct aim at potential opponents, suggesting they lack the grassroots support and commitment to working people that he claims defines his administration. He criticized rivals for accepting donations from wealthy donors and corporate interests.
Looking ahead, Johnson outlined an agenda for a second term: universal pre-K funding (which he said the city has already begun), wage increases for workers, equitable state school funding, higher taxes on the wealthy, and the reopening of closed schools.
He also signaled opposition to policing strategies used in previous administrations, specifically referencing ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, and invoking the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer.
The mayor invoked the legacy of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. and framed his work as part of a longer tradition of Black activism and labor organizing in Chicago. He also introduced his wife, Stacy Nicole Richard Johnson, calling her “the first black first lady in the history of Chicago.”
Johnson’s reelection comes as Chicago faces ongoing challenges with public safety, school funding, and affordable housing—issues that have drawn scrutiny of his administration’s record and approach.
Johnson may face a crowded field in next year’s election. There are 12 announced candidates vying for the job and circulating nominating petitions in hopes of gathering the required 12,500 signatures, and perhaps at least twice that number, to secure a place on the ballot. The deadline to file is Oct. 26.
Besides Johnson, other announced candidates include Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, George Cardenas, Willie Wilson, John Kelly, Matthew Brewer, Lisa Nee, Joe Holberg and Danielle Carter-Walters.