CHICAGO — Brandon Johnson, a union organizer and former public school teacher, was sworn in as Chicago's 57th mayor on Monday, inheriting a deeply divided city of more than 2.5 million people in the midst of a crime wave and an immigration crisis.
By his own admission, Johnson is the product of a politically aggressive teachers union that had tried but failed to get one of its own into office. More than 93% of Johnson's campaign contributions came from about 20 unions.Teachers unions ultimately poured nearly $5.6 million into his campaign, far eclipsing the amount spent on previous candidates, according to Illinois Policy.
He also spoke about the state of emergency declared in the city over thousands of illegal immigrants being bused to Chicago by Gov. Greg Abbott . When Johnson first got into the mayoral race, he polled at a paltry 2%, with the other candidates writing him off early. His win sent shockwaves through the city and ushered in a new era for Chicago politics — one Johnson, arguably the most liberal mayor yet, said he's ready to face head-on.
Once the pomp and circumstance subside, Johnson will have the daunting task of governing a struggling city. Ahead of Monday's inauguration, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served from 2011 to 2019 and is now the U.S. ambassador to Japan, tweeted a message from Tokyo wishing Johnson good luck:"From a past mayor to our new mayor, I want to congratulate Brandon Johnson on his accomplishment today, and wish him and his family the very best for what he will accomplish for all of us over the next four years.
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