2023 Chicago Mayoral/Aldermanic Elections

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/byaliceyin/status/1627000914258063360

This is a much funnier tweet. 

Talk about awk:

https://twitter.com/HeatherCherone/status/1627003593915080704

[brucejoel99]

Has a incumbent mayor ever failed to make the runoff would Lightfoot be the first?

Chicago hasn’t had a runoff system for very long. Prior to the runoff system, Jane Byrne lost the Democratic primary to Harold Washington in 1983.

Washington's successor Eugene Sawyer also lost in the primary to Daley II in '89.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/mr_coda/status/1632909957598437376

[brucejoel99]

Victory Research poll has Vallas leading:

https://twitter.com/maryannahernnbc/status/1634927942546644992

https://twitter.com/austinahlman/status/1634957914044792833

[brucejoel99]

Just curious, does anyone have an idea how Vallas went from an abysmal 9th Place 5% finish 4 years ago to finishing top of the field with a solid third of the vote this time around?

The most likely explanation is simply that last time he was a dime-a-dozen White candidate for the people who take that into consideration /w their vote and this time he's the only one. Fitting, in a way, since Vallas has absolutely nothing else to offer Chicago besides that and privatizing their schools.

I'm sure someone else has a wonkier reason, and I wouldn't mind hearing it, but considering a Daley was literally on the ballot in 2019...

There isn't much of one, you were right the first time: Vallas just really lucked out this time around by getting to run alone in the neoliberal white reactionary lane that makes up ~1/3rd of the municipal electorate & consequently gave him 32.9% in this year's 1st round after giving Daley/Joyce/Chico/Vallas/McCarthy/Fioretti a collective 37% last time around. Likewise, had all of them except Daley not ran in 2019, then we probably would've seen him easily carry the 1st round plurality ~15 pts. ahead of Lightfoot & get to go to a runoff with her.

[brucejoel99]

👀 https://twitter.com/izqstrategies/status/1636473503498027008

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/Brandon4Chicago/status/1637811813487194115

This is a big deal. Presumably his wife, the city Treasurer, will do the same, since they are a political unit.

Bucks the trend of establishment Black alderpeople endorsing Vallas.

She did 2 days ago:

https://twitter.com/HeatherCherone/status/1637108262767149057
He's following up on her:

https://twitter.com/HeatherCherone/status/1637828677970038784

[brucejoel99]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxM0nUFbYJw

https://twitter.com/megan_e_riley/status/1630761789746212865

[brucejoel99]

For those interested, Chicago just witnessed the narrowest budget vote in the City Council since the 80s — Lightfoot's budget only passed 29-21, with six aldermen dissenting from the left and 15 from the right. One DSA-affiliated council member and another generally associated with the city's left voted for the budget; if they and a couple other conservatives voted against, the budget fails.

Lightfoot will be a one term mayor.

Like there’s anyone who could garner the support to win in Chicago. She’s got major incumbency and name recognition advantages very useful in this cash-strapped pandemic environment.

The election's not until 2023, so it certainly won't be in a pandemic environment. The most obvious left-of-center candidate is Brandon Johnson, who'd certainly draw at least some union backing, and who has a decent amount of name recognition (county commissioner with a regular radio show). The right will almost certainly have someone with a ton of cash too (Paul Vallas?). And then there's Willie Wilson.

Lightfoot is a weak, weak mayor with no natural base of support and she's gonna draw a handful of very well-funded challengers.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/erin_hegarty/status/1647990087144075264

What are you planning to do to celebrate Ed Burke Day?

Extort my local Burger King operator to come to my law firm to do their property tax appeal... in Minecraft!