Now come the usual analyses explaining how and why one candidate won the mayor’s office while the other lost. So far, no one has pinpointed two important reasons the more experienced and better prepared Paul Vallas lost to newcomer Brandon Johnson, who had fewer pertinent credentials but had important union backing. Sometimes, emotion trumps logic. Sometimes, factors in plain sight are ignored.
The voters who follow political currents were familiar with Vallas’ impressive track record and managerial abilities as a top-notch problem-solver for numerous municipalities. But how many voters internalized those accomplishments enough to elect him on Election Day? While Vallas is rightly a darling of the establishment, he was mostly a stranger to the vast majority of voters in Black and Hispanic wards. And although Vallas had three years while Lori Lightfoot was mayor to make his name and achievements known to minorities at the grassroots level, he did not. That cost him. Keep in mind how siloed and Balkanized Chicago is.
Positioning himself as the law-and-order candidate in a time when crime leads voter concerns, Vallas also positioned himself as the darling of the Fraternal Order of Police. This may not have mattered to many, and it jump-started his campaign. But few Latinos or African Americans see the FOP as other than a racist police organization that is resistant to court-ordered reforms. While the FOP endorsement boosted Vallas among many white voters, among minorities in general, it was a pill too poisonous to swallow, even while they want criminals to be arrested.
Minority voters know the police are necessary to keep the peace and arrest wrongdoers, but they still have misgivings about how some cops go about it. When did we last see a newspaper report about a white inmate released because his conviction was found to be false? But we regularly read of innocent Black inmates released because they were wrongly convicted due to police wrongdoing or false testimony. This psychological backdrop influences Chicago voting and is risky for candidates to ignore.
Will Johnson be savvy enough in victory to benefit from Vallas’ abilities as part of his inner circle? And would Vallas be gracious enough to accept such an offer?
Such a development would do much to de-Balkanize and advance our city.
— Ted Z. Manuel, Chicago
Elections in 1983, 2023
As the daughter of 1983 Republican mayoral candidate Bernie Epton, I watched with interest and trepidation the unfolding of the 2023 mayoral contest. When all the votes were tallied and the ward outcomes were compared to the 1983 vote, I came to a different conclusion. Not based on racism but on the hope that votes were cast because of belief in a candidate’s internal compass and abilities and a belief that the candidates in 2023, as well as in 1983, wanted to provide a better environment for all Chicagoans.
My hope is that we never judge a candidate again on race or religion but on character and ability to lead this city to a better place.
— Dale Epton, Chicago
Obama’s commitment
I didn’t vote for Brandon Johnson. However, why would he need to mention Barack Obama in his acceptance speech? After all, Obama left Chicago and now splits his time between Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard.
Sure, Obama will return for the ribbon-cutting opening his presidential library, but for the most part, he’s put Chicago in his rearview mirror.
— Bruce R. Hovanec, Chicago
Is Johnson for whole city?
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson during the campaign often said that he intends to be mayor for the whole city. I haven’t seen him in our neighborhood.
You can hardly blame him, though. The streets are so bad they’re practically impassable. One pothole around the corner on Rosemont Avenue is particularly nice. There’s a lovely salad bar at the bottom and a gift shop.
— Ken Bostrom, Sauganash neighborhood, Chicago
Making a difference here
Thank you to letter writer Dan Hoekstra (“We can try being better,” April 5) for his compassionate plea to humanity to “try to be a little bit better” in our treatment of one another. It seems so simple. One good word, one good action, one good thought would go a long way.
We have a new mayor now. The only way this city will pull itself up is if Chicagoans support efforts to improve the city. Fighting separate battles has led nowhere.
Please, Chicagoans, try to be a little bit better.
— Monica Wiedlin-Torres, Chicago
Political text messaging
I have been a registered voter in the state of Illinois for more than a decade. At the time, I foolishly registered using my mobile phone number instead of leaving it blank or leaving an alternate (such as Google Voice). Per the Federal Communications Commission website, “robocalls and robotexts to mobile phones require prior consent” with a few exceptions. Political text messaging is allowed if “the message’s sender does not use autodialing technology to send such texts and instead manually dials them.”
I received at least a half-dozen text messages on a recent day from unknown numbers reminding me to vote for either candidate for mayor. How would I ever be able to determine the technology used to send it?
For my fellow Illinois voters, I wanted to pass on the FCC’s reporting method of forwarding the texts to 7726. My experience has been that the agency will follow up to ask for you to text it the offending mobile number. I recommend you block the number on your mobile device as well.
Hopefully, future candidates and their election committee members receive the message loud and clear that nonconsensual contact via mobile phones will not increase the chances of receiving a vote for a candidate.
— William Schutte, Chicago
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