Can Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson be as skeptical of the teachers, who supported him, as of the police, who didn’t?
He has a tough job ahead of him.
Photographer: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images North AmericaMatthew Yglesias
Chicago’s mayoral election should stand as a warning to anyone who cares about the future of America’s cities, not so much because of the result but because of the choice it presented. Both candidates were beholden to unions, and neither gave much indication he’d be willing to stand up to his base of support when necessary — and in Chicago, as in other US cities, it will almost certainly be necessary.
Last week progressive Brandon Johnson, the teachers union candidate, defeated moderate Paul Vallas, the police union candidate. He must now govern a city facing a revenue shortfall of some $373 million as federal relief funds come to an end.
