Latest Chicago Mayoral Poll Shows Vallas in Lead, Johnson With Small Edge Over Lightfoot, García – NBC Chicago
The polls for Chicago’s 2023 local election are officially open, but the race for the city’s next mayor is still highly unpredictable.
With a crowded field of nine candidates, various conflicting polls, and thousands more ballots expected to be cast on Election Day — not to mention the thousands of pending absentee ballots the Chicago Board of Elections expects in the coming days — pundits are increasingly predicting a mayoral runoff .
“It might take some time after election night to call some of these races, even the mayor’s race,” Max Bever of the Chicago Board of Elections told NBC Chicago.
Electoral Attorney Burt Odelson agrees.
“It’s very, very possible that we have discovery reports to see who comes in second, to see who is eligible to run on April 4,” he says.
Elections on February 28 close at 7:00 p.m. If no candidate gets 50% of the vote in that first round, the top two candidates would advance to a runoff scheduled for April 4.
Here’s a breakdown of candidates on the ballot and what the latest polls show.
Chicago mayoral candidate
Note: Rather than listing the candidates in alphabetical order, we have listed them in the order they would currently appear on the February 28 ballot.
Yes Mal Green
As a community activist, Green has garnered public attention for his work in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he has also founded several community organizations including the Small Business Repair Program and My turn to Own. He has also largely focused his efforts on tackling the problem of violence in the city.
You can find out more via Green on his Twitter account.
The list of candidates seeking to unseat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot continued to grow Tuesday as community activist Ja’Mal Green took the field. NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern spoke to Green about the decision.
Ald. Sophia King
King has represented Chicago’s fourth ward since April 2016 after living in the area for 30 years. Her campaign has had a strong focus on transparency in government, the city’s handling of violent crime, and education, with tabs dedicated to these issues on her campaign website.
Notable Notes: Ald. David Moore
Chicago Ald. Sophia King jumped into the increasingly crowded mayoral field this week and said she’s trying to run as someone who can unify different constituencies around the city, which she says Mayor Lori Lightfoot hasn’t done. Political reporter Mary Ann Ahern has more.
State Representative Kam Buckner
Buckner grew up in Roseland and Washington Heights, and his current residential area includes parts of Bronzeville, Gold Coast, Hyde Park, River North, South Shore and Woodlawn, among others. His platform encompasses what he calls a “four-star plan” focused on safety and justice, education, economic opportunity, and stabilizing the city’s finances.
You can read more about his campaign on his website.
Notable Notes: Commuters are taking action
Illinois State Assemblyman Kam Buckner announced Thursday that he plans to run for mayor of Chicago, tossing his hat in the ring amid a growing list of candidates. Mary Ann Ahern reports.
Willie Wilson
Wilson, who has owned a number of McDonald’s franchises and various companies, has a long history of running for office in Chicago, with mayoral elections in 2015 and 2019 and a run for the Senate in 2020. Wilson is running on a platform for “Recovery, restore and rebuild the city and cited his efforts to donate free fuel and masks to underserved communities as examples of how he would begin to address issues in the city.
You can read more about Wilson on his campaign website.
Notable Notes: Ald. Raymond Lopez, Illinois Section of the Polish-American Congress
With a blast of goodwill generated by his $1.2 million gasoline gifts, multimillionaire businessman Willie Wilson on Monday joined the race to elect Mayor Lori Lightfoot to political retirement after a single term send.
BrandonJohnson
Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, was entered with some strong endorsements from the Chicago Teachers Union and the American Federation of Teachers. Johnson lives in the Austin area of Chicago and previously worked as a teacher in the Chicago public school system before being elected to the Cook County Board of Directors.
You can read more about it Johnson on his Twitter account.
Notable Notes: Ald. Pat Dowell, Ald. Daniel LaSpata, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Ald. Rossana Rodríguez-Sanchez, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Ald. Jeanette Taylor, U.S. Reps. Jonathan Jackson and Delia Ramirez, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, State Rep. Lakesia Collins, State Rep. Mary Flowers, State Rep. Will Guzzardi, Rep. Lilian Jimenez, Cook County Commissioners Stanley Moore and Josina Morita, American Federation of Teachers, Chicago Teachers Union, Illinois Federation of Teachers, SEIU Local 73, SEIU Healthcare, United Working Families
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson enters the crowded field in Chicago’s 2023 mayoral election, reports NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern.
Paul Vallas
Vallas is the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and has also competed in several statewide races, losing the 2002 Democratic gubernatorial primary and the 2014 governor’s race as Pat Quinn’s running mate. Vallas has cited his experience running large school districts as he embarked on the campaign trail and pledged to make massive changes to the city’s finances, address public safety issues and more effectively integrate parents into the education system.
You can read more about Vallas on his campaign website.
Notable Notes: Ald. Brian Hopkins, Ald. Anthony Napolitano, Ald. Tom Tunney, Chicago Chapter FOP, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2, Chicago Tribune, Gazette Chicago
NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern sits down with Paul Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, who announced Wednesday that he will run for Chicago mayor in 2023.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Lightfoot was elected mayor in 2019, winning a runoff against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to replace Rahm Emanuel in office. Prior to her tenure as mayor, she served in a variety of positions, including president of the Chicago Police Board. She has pledged to work toward expanding economic opportunity across the city and to continue her work on strengthening education, police reform and neighborhood development if elected to a second term.
Click here to go to the Mayor’s campaign website.
Notable Notes: Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., Ald. James Cappleman, Ald. Jason Ervin, Ald. Michelle Harris, Ald. Roberto Maldonado, Ald. Emma Mitts, Ald. Chris Taliaferro, Ald. Scott Waguespack, US Senator Tammy Duckworth, US Reps. Danny Davis and Robin Kelly, State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, State Reps. Kelly Cassidy and Camille Lilly, American Postal Workers Union Local 1, IATSE Local 762, LGBTQ Victory Fund, Local 11 Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Related Workers, Local Plumbers Union 130 UA, EMILY’s list
Mayor Lori Lightfoot traversed Chicago to launch her re-election campaign, acknowledging that public safety is the number one issue and doubling down on her support for Police Supt. David Braun. NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern reports.
Ald. Roderick Sawyer
Sawyer comes from a family of political leaders, his father Eugene was mayor of Chicago after the death of Harold Washington. He was elected to the city council in 2011 and represents the 6th Ward on the Far South Side of the city. He currently chairs the City Council’s Black Caucus and serves on a variety of committees, including Education and Child Development and the Rules and Ethics Committee.
You can read more about Sawyer on his Alderman page.
with Ald. With Roderick Sawyer announcing that he will run for mayor of Chicago next year, how does he do it? Although his father, Eugene Sawyer, was appointed mayor, no councilman has ever been elected to the city’s top post. NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern reports.
Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García
García lost a direct runoff to Emanuel in the 2015 mayoral election and was elected to Congress for the first time in 2019. He has also served on the Illinois Senate and Cook County Board of Commissioners, and achieved local notoriety for supporting Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Notable Notes: Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley, Ald. Felix Cardona Jr., Ald. Michael Rodriguez, Ald. Susan Sadlowski-Garza, Ald. André Vasquez, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, State Senator Ram Villivalam, Chairman of the Illinois House of Representatives, Robyn Gabel, Gasworkers Local 18007, IUOE Local 150, Teamsters Local 727, United Farm Workers
US Rep. Chuy Garcia is considering running for mayor after a poll conducted by Congressman showed him beating incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a two-way race, reports NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern.
Note: Frederick Collins and Johnny Logalbo did not obtain the required number of valid voter signatures and were removed from the ballot by the Chicago Board of Elections.
What the latest polls show
A new poll conducted just days before Tuesday’s election shows former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas is widening his lead in the city’s mayoral race, with three candidates still fighting to determine who Finish second and could force a runoff in April.
The poll, conducted by Victory Research, also found Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson ahead of incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is still within reach as she seeks a second term.
Here are the top 5 candidates according to the new poll:
Paul Vallas – 26.8%
Brandon Johnson – 20.2%
Lori Lightfoot – 18.7%
Jesús “Chuy” García – 15.6%
Willie Wilson – 11.4%
The poll was conducted February 24-26 and consisted of 806 likely Chicago voters. According to Victory Research, the error rate was 3.45%.
According to Victory Research, Vallas has extended his lead with his vote count increasing by almost 5%. Johnson also saw his vote count rise 4.1%, pushing him past Lightfoot in the race.
Another recent poll conducted by 1983 Labs shows former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas leading the way (24%) opposing incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot (18%), Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García (16%) ) and Cook County Commissioner Brandon is fighting Johnson (15%) in a runoff.