Good morning, Chicago.
Today, Brandon Johnson officially becomes Chicago’s 57th mayor.
The 47-year-old will be sworn in at the Credit Union 1 Arena on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus along with 50 members of the City Council, Clerk Anna Valencia and Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin.
For the politicians being sworn in and those who will work for them, it’s an opportunity to lead the city of Chicago toward what they say will be a happier and healthier community. We’ll hear big promises being made today. Some will be kept and some will be broken.
It’s also a quadrennial reminder to be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.
All eyes today will be on Johnson as he takes the oath of office and, with it, begins addressing a series of critical issues facing Chicago. Even as the city emerges from the COVID-19 emergency, Johnson must deal with the escalating number of migrants being bused here from the border, select a future leader of the Chicago Police Department, make decisions essential to the city’s fiscal future and help spearhead changes at Chicago Public Schools.
Johnson enters office as arguably the most progressive mayor Chicago’s ever had and made promises on the campaign trail about bringing sweeping changes to City Hall following four tumultuous years under Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
How many he implements remains to be seen.
Can he reopen the mental health clinics closed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel even though top Chicago Department of Public Health officials think it is better to give grants to outside organizations? Can he convince Springfield to send more money to the city’s schools? Can he inspire a city that embraced Lightfoot, who received more than 70% of the vote in 2019 before being rejected with 17% of the vote in 2023?
We’ll likely hear many of those promises — and more — today as Johnson delivers his inaugural address around 10:30 a.m. We’ll be streaming the speech online at chicagotribune.com as Chicago’s newest mayor sets the tone for what’s in store for the coming four years.
Alice Yin, A.D. Quig and I will have you covered, as always. And sign up for The Spin newsletter, your essential take on local politics, delivered every weekday.
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Brandon Johnson will be sworn in as Chicago’s 57th mayor on Monday, kicking off a new era at City Hall he promises will be the city’s most progressive and transformative administration yet.
The mayor-elect, 47, will enter his inauguration ceremony on a mission to uplift the working class after campaigning on an anti-establishment platform that denounced what he called “the tale of two cities.” A former Cook County commissioner and teachers union organizer, Johnson will succeed Lori Lightfoot after her tumultuous term that saw widespread discontent following the pandemic and civil unrest.
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Opinion series: What Brandon Johnson must do as the new mayor of Chicago
When Brandon Johnson is sworn in as the city’s 57th mayor Monday, he inherits a Chicago Police Department in a swirl of transition. Along with his promise to add detectives, Johnson needs to choose a permanent CPD superintendent, and has promised to eliminate controversial recent additions to the city’s police landscape, including the ShotSpotter system.
Lori Lightfoot’s legacy: A combative mayor who led Chicago through crises, some of her own making
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will exit office Monday after presiding over the city’s most tumultuous era in generations, one marked by enormous strain on every element of civic life and the twin crises of COVID-19 and civil unrest.
As Chicago’s first Black female and first openly gay mayor, Lightfoot vowed four years ago to make Chicago the safest big city in the country, transform its reputation as a hive for corruption and villainy and lead an overhaul of the long-troubled Police Department. Her ambitious plans were derailed by the pandemic and widespread looting following the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, as well as Lightfoot’s own failure to forge or maintain bonds with stakeholders and public officials who could help her push a reform agenda.
As she exits office, Mayor Lori Lightfoot signs string of executive orders
Chicago mayors: 100 years of their inauguration speeches — from William Dever through Lori Lightfoot
A mayor’s inauguration “didn’t amount to much” in the early days of the city, 86-year-old Chicago resident David “Uncle Dave” W. Clark told the Tribune in 1927. “There were no ladies, flowers, big dinners, or river trips. The mayor just walked up, was sworn in, said his speech, and that was all,” he said.
Here’s a look back at what Chicago’s mayors have said in their first official addresses during the past 100 years.
Seriously, was Lori Lightfoot funny? A look back at the memeing of the Chicago mayor.
What to know as Brandon Johnson becomes Chicago’s next mayor
Even before taking office, Johnson has already faced several tests with Loop teen violence, choosing a Chicago Police Department commissioner and more. Take a look back at our coverage for what to know as Johnson prepares to become Chicago’s next mayor.
