Mayoral Runoff Election in Chicago

By: Veronica Leighton

 

The last Chicago mayoral (and aldermanic) election held last February 28, 2023, witnessed nine candidates (including the incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot) vying for the same spot which ended up in a run-off election (between two top winning candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson) now scheduled on April 4th.

Since the start of the campaign, Via Times Newsmagazine had been the ardent supporter of Dr. Willie Wilson, a popular and successful Chicago businessman and philanthropist, and our featured cover in February 2023 issue. Unfortunately, he lost the election placing in the No. 5 position among the group of nine candidates competing for the top post.

For the run-off election, Dr. Willie Wilson Endorses Paul Vallas for Mayor.

We’re sharing with you the press release issued by by the office of Paul Vallas. Please read on:

“ Mayoral candidate and business leader Dr. Willie Wilson is endorsing Paul Vallas in the runoff election. Wilson is now the second former opponent to support Vallas, joining Alderman Roderick Sawyer who endorsed Vallas earlier this week. In making the endorsement, Wilson cited Vallas’ public safety platform, his call to make public safety a civil right and his plans for equitable investments in the South and West sides of the city.

“I know that Paul Vallas is the only candidate left in this race who will do what’s needed to make Chicago safer, and that’s why he has my support,” said Wilson. “Paul has a long history of working closely with the Black community and his plans to invest in neighborhoods that have been neglected for too long is impressive, and he will do it without imposing new taxes that will drive away companies and jobs. I’m glad to stand with Paul and I encourage my supporters to come out and vote for him in the runoff election.”

Dr. Wilson is the latest high profile city leader to endorse Vallas in the runoff election, joining former Secretary of State Jesse White, Alderman Walter Burnett, Alderman and former Mayoral candidate Rod Sawyer, educator Dr. Joyce Kenner, and more.

“As someone who lost a son to gun violence, Willie Wilson knows better than anyone how important it is to make Chicago safer and I’m proud to earn his support,” said Vallas. “It’s incredibly gratifying to continue drawing more and more support to our campaign from across our city representping every community, and I look forward to announcing more supporters soon.”

Some may ask what a runoff election is all aboput….. simply said, “when there are more than two candidates, it’s possible no one reaches 50% and thus no one wins. Enter the runoff election.”

Who’s Paul Vallas? Vallas served as CEO of Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001, later taking on a similar role in Philadelphia.

He also finished a distant ninth in the 2019 Chicago mayoral race when Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff.

This time around, Vallas received a number of high-profile endorsements, including from the Chicago Tribune and Ald. Tom Tunney.

Vallas served as an adviser to the Fraternal Order of Police during its negotiations with Lightfoot’s administration. He has called for adding hundreds of police officers to patrol the city, saying crime is out of control and morale among officers has sunk to a new low during Lightfoot’s tenure.

At a weekend campaign stop, Vallas said he is focused on things like public safety, Chicago’s “demoralized” police department and the number of residents “fleeing” the city’s school district. “It’s all a product of bad leadership,” Vallas said.

Chicago mayoral election night where Dr. Willie Wilson is shown conceding his defeat, surrounded, by his supporters, Filipinos, Romanian, Polish, Mexicans, Middle Eastern, etc, held at the Swissotel downtown Chicago.

 

The big group of supporters cheering for Dr. Wilson at the Swissotel ballroom.

The Filipino American community for Dr. Willie Wilson represented by Dely Villalon, Gerry Rebello, Veronica, and Robert Chavez. Not in picture are: Noel Hidalgo, Jocelyn Needer, Lorna and Dale Tippett.ccc