April 5, 2023

Brandon Johnson: Chicago's new mayor

 Time  The 47-year-old has advocated for a greater reckoning with how circumstances like unemployment and gun violence impact families and students, positioning himself as a would-be mayor with left-wing ideals. His campaign website discusses his efforts to recognize holidays like Indigenous Peoples’ Day and his experience helping immigrants facing deportation get legal representation.

Johnson, who won his seat as Cook County Commissioner for the 1st District in 2018, has been a longtime community organizer. Under his leadership, Cook County’s Just Housing Ordinance—which bans housing discrimination based on a person’s criminal history—passed. Working with the teacher’s union, Johnson also took part in the 2019 Chicago Public Schools strike, as educators fought for better wages, increased staffing of social workers and more, while positioning their protest as one that sought greater equity in the city.

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