* The question about Mayor Johnson during the debate last night was a bit difficult to watch. Click here for the clip…
Q: Do you approve of the leadership of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and will you support his re election?
Raja Krishnamoorthi: Do you have another question? I’m just kidding.
Q: Congressman Krishnamoorthi, you’re first.
Raja Krishnamoorthi: I’m first. Okay. [audience laughs] Well, look, yeah, look, I think that. Let’s see. I want to see where Brandon Johnson is going to take us. As I said, look, we have tremendous potential in Chicago. We are an amazing city in the Chicago region and all of Illinois for that matter. And the question is, do we bring people together and try to find our boldest common denominators, or do we go a different direction? And I’m always fearful when we might be dividing more than uniting, because when we’re attacking each other, we can’t attack our common problems. And so what are some of those issues that we have to deal with? One is we have to continue to build upon the record that, for instance, Governor JB Pritzker has done at the state level with attracting jobs…
Q: I’m sorry, Congressman. The question wasn’t about the governor, it’s about the mayor. So without attacking specifically, do you approve of his job performance so far? Do you imagine yourself supporting him in a re election?
Krishnamoorthi: Yeah, let me get to that. So basically, what I’m trying to say is this, my support for him will depend on do we do more of building on consensus and bringing people together to tackle our common problems, attracting more economic development, especially the south and west sides of Chicago. Do we work together with business more and trying to find places where we can help them and we can create a win-win? Do we also deal, continue to deal with the public safety issues in a way that recognizes the long term concerns about criminal justice, while at the same time people’s legitimate fears about crime? I would also say this, which is we have tremendous potential. Brandon Johnson can preside over a renaissance in Chicago, but only if he takes the best parts of Chicago and amplifies them.
Juliana Stratton: I’m very grateful for the ways that we have stood together here in the city of Chicago and in the state of Illinois, especially in the wake of all of these attacks by Donald Trump and his administration. And you all might have seen when he was threatening to send federalized troops to our city, we all stood together, federal elected, the Governor and I, county and the city of Chicago to say that we don’t welcome Donald Trump here, that we don’t want his troops, and that we’re going to stand up for our neighbors. So that kind of collaboration must continue. I don’t know if he has announced that he’s running for re election, so I have no comment on that at this time.
Robin Kelly: Like any elected official, people would say this about me: There’s some things you agree with and some things you don’t agree with. I will give him a great compliment on how he handled ICE. And actually, I will give him a great compliment when Chicago was on stage with the DNC, Chicago did a fantastic job under his leadership, and when he had to, he was summoned to DC on the Oversight Committee, and you would be proud of how he stood up and defended Chicago and took a lot of heated questions, but he did a really, really good job. I don’t know if he’s running again. He hasn’t said that to me, but I think that in this next year, time will tell what happens with the budget, what happens with school, what happens with businesses coming in and out of Chicago, can you bring the council together?
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:46 pm:
I really have to wonder if Mayor Johnson is looking with jealousy at all of the progressive love that Mamdani is getting in NYC and making excuses in his head about why he never got that level of hype and unity.
The big difference is that Mayor Mamdani doesn’t have a CTU or a Jason Lee calling the shots behind the scenes.
- I-55 Fanatic - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
Raja did a great job at using a whole lot of words to say absolutely nothing. And wise of Stratton and Kelly to justify their indecisiveness on the legitimate skepticism that he’s even running again. I predict not, personally, but we’ll see.
- Woodworth - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
The people most likely to raise this as an issue would be those running for Mayor in 2027. The challenge is that it is much better for them that Lee stay in his role.
“Never interrupt your opponent while he is in the middle of making a mistake.”
- Dan Johnson - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
One thing the electorate said they wanted was an end to the boss era. They had a chance to pick maybe our best administrator in Toni Preckwinkle and instead they picked a former prosecutor who said she’d bring in the light. She was considered to be too bossy so the electorate picked a collaborative legislator.
And his under appreciated virtues are — he is the opposite of a boss.
When the state funded the CTA but removed the power of the Mayor, he didn’t complain. Can you imagine that working with an old school boss mayor?
When the council (and business interests) revolted against his budget and for the first time in history passed their own budget, he did not veto it. Can you imagine a boss mayor doing that?
Superintendent Snelling is widely considered the best one in decades — appointed by the Mayor after a more democratic process. He could have just picked someone else entirely but respected the process.
No one is perfect, but I think Mayor Johnson deserves more credit than he gets.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:56 pm:
Mayor Johnson has shown he does not have the wherewithal to actually accomplish anything nor the decorum one should expect from a leader.
I find his attacks on the media when asked questions he doesn’t like to be wholly unbecoming of the office, especially when the right spends so much time demonizing the media.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
To NIU Grad
Mayor Mamdami also makes a point to remain focused on his constituents, charitable to the media, and altogether pleasant and personable.
Mayor Johnson keeps the focus on himself and the perceived slights or lack of credit he receives and is often unnecessarily combative.
- 46_Ward_Moderate - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
From the dancing around the question, it’s clear that expressing support for BJ is radioactive outside of Chicago in the rest of the State and that each of the candidates understand that and that they need to appeal to voters OUTSIDE of the city of Chicago. The damage he’s done to the “progressive” brand may well sink progressives state-wide for the next few election cycles. I don’t fault Raja for his long explanation; it’s much clearer than the typical BJ word salad
- Frida's Boss - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
Don’t you have to be a city resident to be a city employee?
Interesting non-answer from all of them, with Raja getting the win on the biggest word salad.
- Woodworth - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
Brandon Johnson will not be the Mayor of Chicago in June 2027. Apparently his senior staff is internalizing that reality and reacting appropriately.
As for being the “opposite of boss” - that’s by outcome, not by desire.
He didn’t veto the budget because he knew it would be overridden.
Don’t gild the lily - it’s incompetence, not intentionality.
- Remember the Alamo II - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:04 pm:
=== One thing the electorate said they wanted was an end to the boss era. ===
And boy do they regret that decision everyday.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:05 pm:
===radioactive outside of Chicago===
Did you just fall off a turnip truck? His poll numbers have improved a bit, but he’s still radioactive *in* Chicago.
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:05 pm:
Not expecting that question about the mayor, Raja responded in a way that indicates he can think on his feet and tap dance away from a volatile question.
The other candidates seemed relieved that they weren’t asked that question out of the gate. They had a few moments to process an answer.
- twowaystreet - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:44 pm:
== Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:05 pm==
“Danger, Will Robinson” was on a loop in their heads as they scrambled to think up responses.