The Republican firm Victory Research shows former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas beating Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson 45-39 in the April 4 nonpartisan primary for mayor of Chicago, which falls right between what two other recent surveys have found. 1983 Labs had Vallas ahead by a wide 44-32 margin last week, while a Lake Research Partners internal for Johnson had its sponsor up 45-40.
Both candidates are also airing their first negative TV ad of the general election, and the spot takes aim at their rival’s most obvious weakness. Johnson’s spot begins by accusing Vallas of having “wrecked Chicago’s schools finances, leaving us with billions in higher property taxes,” a statement that’s followed up with the narrator saying he “was just caught spreading racist and homophobic tweets.” It follows up with 2009 footage of Vallas saying, “I’m more of a Republican than a Democrat.” Vallas has repeatedly maintained he’s a “lifelong Democrat” and that that clip was taken out of context.
Vallas’ Twitter account, the local media reported just before the Feb. 28 nonpartisan primary, has a history of liking offensive tweets, including a message from that month arguing a senior police official was leaving because he “sees the writing on the wall, as a white male his ascension on CPD is limited. Identity over competency.” The page also did the same for several homophobic blasts against Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is the city’s first lesbian leader.
Vallas’ team responded by saying that the candidate doesn’t manage his account, and that “[t]he campaign is working to identify who is responsible for liking these tweets as many volunteers have had access to the account in recent years, including some who are no longer with the campaign.” They issued a similar statement last week when the Chicago Tribune reported that Vallas’ Facebook page had also liked comments that called Chicago a “hell hole” and dubbed Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker “the king of full term abortion.”
Vallas’ ad, meanwhile, utilizes a clip of a reporter declaring that Johnson “said he would cut the Chicago police budget by at least $150 million.” The narrator goes on to declare, “Chicago can’t afford Brandon Johnson’s risky proposals to raise taxes and defund the police.” Johnson himself insisted Monday, “I never said ‘defund the police.’”
Vallas, meanwhile, earned an endorsement that same day from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, which said it was sending his campaign $1 million. The labor group previously supported Rep. Chuy Garcia, who took fourth in the nonpartisan primary.