{"id":25821,"date":"2023-04-06T11:59:16","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T18:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=25821"},"modified":"2023-04-06T11:59:18","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T18:59:18","slug":"a-win-for-the-history-books-brandon-johnson-defeats-school-privatizer-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/04\/06\/a-win-for-the-history-books-brandon-johnson-defeats-school-privatizer-in-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"‘A Win for the History Books’: Brandon Johnson Defeats School Privatizer in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Brandon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brandon Johnson speaks after being projected winner of the Chicago mayoral runoff on April 4, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo by Alex Wroblewski\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Tonight is the beginning of a Chicago that truly invests in all of its people,” Johnson said in his victory speech.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JAKE JOHNSON<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 05, 2023 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progressive Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson defeated conservative Democrat and school privatizer Paul Vallas in Chicago’s mayoral runoff on Tuesday, a victory he called a “gateway to a new future” for the nation’s third-largest city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Tonight is the beginning of a Chicago that truly invests in all of its people,” Johnson said in his victory speech<\/a>, pledging to help usher in “a city that actually respects the workers who keep it running” and one “where public schools have the resources to meet the needs of every child.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education policy quickly emerged as a central issue in the contest between Johnson and Vallas, which the progressive won with just over 51% of the vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former public school teacher and longtime union organizer, Johnson vowed to prioritize investments in public education<\/a> and oppose<\/a> charter expansions\u2014an agenda that couldn’t have contrasted more sharply with that of Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and an ardent supporter of school privatization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vallas, whose campaign was backed by Republican donors<\/a> and business interests, aggressively pursued school privatization schemes during his tenure as the head of school districts in Chicago, New Orleans, and Philadelphia\u2014a record that Johnson’s campaign spotlighted in an ad that aired<\/a> this week as well as in debates ahead of Tuesday’s vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My opponent talks about school closures,” Johnson said<\/a> during one debate. “Well, he set up the market for schools to be closed. He got so good at it, he went around the country doing it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, said in a statement late Tuesday that the Chicago runoff marks “a win for the history books.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Brandon Johnson just defeated a deluge of far-right money and misinformation thanks to people power and his positive vision for a safe and thriving Chicago,” Mitchell added. “Now comes the hard work of building a Chicago for the many, with strong schools, good jobs, and safe communities,” Mitchell added. “We look forward to working with Brandon and the new class of Working Families alder members to reopen mental health clinics, pass universal childcare, and implement a local Green New Deal<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, we have shown the world the power of hope, the strength of organizing, and the might of our collective voice.

Tomorrow, the real work begins. We will build a safer, stronger Chicago that reflects the hopes and dreams of every one of us \u2014 together. pic.twitter.com\/7LX4u2OReY<\/a><\/p>— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) April 5, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>