In less than a month, Brandon Johnson — the Cook County commissioner, former Chicago Teachers Union organizer and Chicago Public Schools teacher — will be inaugurated as Chicago’s 57th mayor.
Since winning election this month, Johnson has been assembling a transition team, traveling to Springfield to meet with lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly to lay out his hopes and goals for his first term and picked his chief of staff.
Johnson will be inaugurated May 15. He hasn’t released any details about the swearing-in but previous inaugurations have occurred at Millennium Park, the Chicago Theatre and Wintrust Arena.
Even before taking office, Johnson has already faced a test as large groups of young adults and juveniles swarmed downtown in mid-April, resulting in 16 arrests after three teens were shot. Johnson said in a statement: “It is unacceptable and has no place in our city. However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
Take a look back at our full coverage of the mayor’s race, see 10 graphics showing voter turnout in the runoff election and see a breakdown of the results.
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Here’s what to know as Johnson prepares to become Chicago’s next mayor:
Johnson didn’t waste any time after winning the runoff on April 4. He has discussed the early phases of what his administration’s goals are, met with outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and visited Springfield to meet with state lawmakers.
What has Johnson been up to as he prepares for the May 15 inauguration? He has a transition team in place and has begun to name top members of his City Hall staff.
Once he takes the oath of office, Johnson will have to hit the ground running on a number of high-profile issues. That includes appointing a Chicago police superintendent, working with a new slate of aldermen on the City Council and preparing for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
What did Johnson say about the issues facing Chicago while he was campaigning? Here is a selection of articles from Tribune reporters who followed him on the campaign trail.
