It wasn’t long ago that Brandon Johnson, 47, was a district commissioner and teacher union organizer, unknown to many Chicagoans. He will be sworn in as the city’s 57th mayor on Monday.
Mr. Johnson’s meteoric rise from political obscurity to the helm of America’s third-largest city was fueled by an unashamedly forward-thinking platform, a gift for retail campaigning, and enthusiastic support and money from organized workers. He knocked out incumbent mayor, Lori Lightfoot, in the first round of voting in February and defeated Paul Vallas, a much more conservative and well-funded Democrat, in the second round last month.
Now comes the hardest part.
Mr. Johnson inherits a proud city that hasn’t quite gotten out of its pandemic funk. Downtown Chicago is emptier, public schools have fewer students, and crime rates remain much higher than before the pandemic.
In an interview last week at his transitional office along the Chicago River, Mr. Johnson said he had a clear understanding of the magnitude of the challenges ahead, but was confident in the city’s trajectory.
Here are some of the biggest issues Chicago faces, and what he had to say about them:
The city needs a new police commissioner.
“It is important that the City of Chicago has confidence in the superintendent. That is someone who understands constitutional policing, but also understands that public safety is a general purpose that cannot be limited to policing.”
The superintendent selected by Mrs. Lightfoot, David Brown, resigned after she lost reelection, leaving the embattled Chicago Police Department under interim leadership. Mr. Johnson, who spoke in favor of running for mayor support for removing some of the law enforcement funding, will have to soon choose a permanent inspector.
Mr Johnson said he would look for someone who understands Chicago and could gain the trust of ordinary officers, but also someone who shared his view that policing is just one part of a broader security strategy. He said the new superintendent should be willing to cooperate newly elected councils established by residents to provide feedback and suggestions about law enforcement in each of the city’s police precincts.
Chicago is struggling to handle an influx of migrants.
“We are a haven. There is an incredible history of the city of Chicago as a welcoming space for families across the country and around the world.
Mr. Johnson inherits an escalating crisis: the increasing flow of Venezuelans and other migrants arriving by bus and plane from border states seeking shelter in Chicago. In recent weeks, the number of migrants entering Chicago has multiplied, filling city shelters and overwhelming police stations where migrants have been dropped off. With the lifting last week of Title 42, a federal policy that allowed the United States to deport many people crossing the southern border before they could apply for asylum, even more migrants are expected to flock to Chicago.
The influx is both a problem and an opportunity for Chicago, a city that grew in population between 2010 and 2020 but then saw those gains evaporate during the pandemic, as thousands of residents left. Mr Johnson said he intended to help welcome the migrants but said he also wanted to ensure that black families who have lived in the city for decades are not cut off from the city’s resources.
Public education poses a formidable test.
“There is no greater institution to transform at this time. Our public school system needs to be transformed.
Mr. Johnson, a former social studies teacher, most recently worked as an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, a progressive and politically powerful organization that made repeated work stoppages during his tenure and was a leading opponent of the most recent two mayors.
Mr. Johnson has repeatedly spoken of investing in neighborhood schools as a way to address the city’s wider challenges. He said he envisioned an education system that exposes our children to as many industries as possible in a real, tangible way.” with a much greater focus on connecting high school graduates with career opportunities, including in occupations that do not require a college degree.
Downtown still lacks its prepandemic swagger.
“I believe it’s a unique opportunity for this generation to chart a course that can be studied a century from now.”
The center won’t look the same as it did before the pandemic, Johnson said. But what exactly it will be, is less clear.
Mr. Johnson said he sees an opportunity to build on existing industries, particularly in life sciences, a sector that has been growing recently. During his transition to mayor, Mr. Johnson met with downtown business and community leaders, a group that his opponent, Mr. Vallas, largely supported.
And Mr. Johnson will be the face of the town during one of his latest and most divisive events: a downtown NASCAR street race this summer. Mr Johnson said he intends to run the new motor racing event with “care and sensitivity”, but also hopes to build on the list of more established festivals and activities the city has to offer, especially those that appeal to younger people.
Public safety remains a major concern.
“You know what safe communities all over the country are doing? Do you know what they do? They invest in people.”
Mr. Johnson spoke of the campaign trail of making major investments in communities that have seen the most violent crime, especially on the South Side and West Side where he lives. People will feel more secure, he said, if they have strong neighborhood schools, low unemployment and access to mental health services.
Those goals feel long-term, but Mr Johnson also says he hopes to make immediate changes, such as doubling the number of young people in after-school and summer work.