In the weeks since winning Chicago's mayoral runoff election, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has met with state lawmakers, taken part in a one-on-one meeting with current Mayor Lori Lightfoot and began hiring senior staff members.
Johnson, a Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Public Schools teacher who defeated Paul Vallas in the April 4 runoff, will be sworn in as Chicago's 57th mayor on May 15. A time and place for the inauguration have yet to be officially announced.
Earlier this week, Johnson gave his first address to the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield, calling for cooperation between city and state officials while praising the legislature for its "progressive values."
The mayor-elect called for cooperation with the city and state's business community, saying that Chicago and Springfield could work together to grow the state's existing industries while attracting new ones, labeling Chicago as the "economic engine of Illinois."
"We'll do it together by leveraging our strength, a dynamic workforce, a world class cultural and educational institutions, robust infrastructure and progressive values that embrace everyone," he said.
Public safety was also a focal point of Johnson's address, with both crime and support of police officers garnering attention.
"We have a mandate to make bold necessary investments that address the root causes of violence, and we must do a better job of supporting our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every single day," Johnson said.
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After weathering criticism from runoff rival Paul Vallas over previous statements to “defund” the police, a movement that arose after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Johnson said that he would add 200 detectives to the force. But he also said he would increase funding to battle “the root causes of violence” and provide mental health care for police officers.
The mayor-elect went on to tout his plans to greatly expand youth employment and hire 200 new detectives as components to addressing the root causes of crime and improve Chicago's clearance rate.
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Johnson's address comes on the heels of a chaotic weekend in Chicago that saw large gatherings of mostly teens and young adults engage in "reckless, disruptive and violent" behavior near Millennium Park and 31st Street Beach.
The events resulted in property damage, physical assaults and at least 15 arrests.
Through his transition committee Chicago for the People, Johnson issued a statement on the events, writing "in no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend."
"It is unacceptable and has no place in our city," he said. "However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities."
Johnson went on to say "our city must work together to create spaces for youth to gather safely and responsibly."
With just weeks until his inauguration, Johnson has already made multiple key appointments. Earlier this week, he named Rich Guidice, a city hall veteran and the executive director for Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, as chief of staff. He also selected Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, a current state senator serving the 20th district, as his incoming first deputy chief of staff.
