Brandon Johnson at the WCPT 820AM Chicago Mayoral Forum on January 26, 2023 in Chicago, Ill. (George Burns for WCPT 820AM)

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson has secured enough votes to defeat former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas to become the next mayor of Chicago.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:31 p.m. CST, when Johnson had 281,108 votes (51.45%) to Vallas’ 268,115 votes (48.55%). This is despite over 91,000 mail-in ballots being outstanding, which can be counted in the following days as long as they’re postmarked on Election Day.

A series of high-profile endorsements from progressives like U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), as well as Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, helped give Johnson a late surge to put him within striking distance of Vallas, who had been the frontrunner in the race for months. Such progressive backing — along with initial backing from progressives like U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson — helped Johnson throughout the campaign, where initial polling last December had him at 3%.

Vallas and Johnson advanced to Tuesday’s runoff after the general election on Feb. 28, where none of the 11 candidates secured more than 50% of the vote. The top two vote-getters were Vallas and Johnson with 33.24% and 21.13% respectively.

Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot became the first elected Chicago mayor since Jane Byrne (1983) to fail to win reelection and the first since the mayoral election became nonpartisan in 1999 that the incumbent did not make it to a runoff election.

Johnson has repeatedly pointed to investing in people to accomplish his political goals, which include providing affordable housing, mental health services and education reform. As a former CPS teacher and long-time labor organizer for the CTU, Johnson’s main support has been from the CTU.

Johnson’s main challenge will likely come on the public safety front, as the Chicago branch of the Fraternal Order of Police Union heavily supported Vallas for mayor. Due to concerns that Johnson plans to defund the Chicago police Department, the FOP’s president John Catanzara promised hundreds of officers would resign and there would be bloodshed if Johnson were elected. This scenario would likely make the already mounting police vacancies and crime rates in the city worse. Johnson’s public safety plan is highlighted by promoting 200 new detectives from within the police department.

Johnson will also have to name a new Chicago Police superintendent, as David Brown resigned last month before Johnson could fire him. Brown was appointed by Lightfoot in 2020.

With his win, the 47-year-old Johnson will be sworn in as the 57th Mayor of Chicago on May 15, 2023, succeeding a tumultuous four years under Lightfoot.

Disclaimer: Brandon Johnson previously hosted a weekend program, “Sunday Mornings with Brandon Johnson,” on WCPT 820AM prior to his mayoral campaign. This has not influenced and will not influence Heartland Signal’s editorial process in covering the 2023 Chicago mayoral election.