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Poll: Mayor Johnson’s favorability rating emerges from absolute dumpster fire territory
Monday, Apr 27, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I saw some people online trying to turn this Suffolk/Tribune poll result into some sort of horse race. It isn’t. What it does show is that Mayor Johnson has been clawing his way out of his deep hole (the president is no doubt helping with that) as far as favorability is concerned. Whether that means he or anyone else listed below has a chance in the actual election is a whole other thing…
Also in Johnson’s favor, 14 percent have no opinion of him. That’s better than the alternative. * Methodology…
Remember, these are residents, not registered or even likely voters. And a poll of just 500 people divvied over all 50 wards may have some problems. Also, nine percent never heard of Johnson? This is what I was talking about regarding how the poll was conducted. * These three results will blow the haters’ minds…
How affordable is your life in Chicago today?
Do you generally feel safe in your neighborhood?
People generally like their city. * Two more…
It would’ve been helpful to see if the pollster specifically used that highly loaded “defunding” word. * On to the Tribune’s other polling story…
Little surprise there. * More unsurprising results, and more reasons why the mayor has probably bounced back a tad…
How strongly do you approve or disapprove of the federal government’s immigration efforts in the Chicago region, known as Operation Midway Blitz, last fall?
How strongly do you agree or disagree that the federal government needs to return to the Chicago region in 2026 to resume its immigration enforcement efforts?
Discuss. [Many thanks to Isabel for her formatting work.]
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- Billionaire Budster - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:38 am:
I’m surprised that Congressman Mike Quigley sees himself as a serious candidate. He has sort of that curmudgeon John Fetterman look about him. Sort of sloppy and unkept.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:39 am:
The residents aspect is a good point. So many residents do not vote, especially in an odd year February election even if it is the Mayor’s race. Stranger things have happened, but there are a lot of bad numbers for MBJ.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:40 am:
–Do you generally feel safe in your neighborhood?–
This is an excellent question. I have seen polls from Cook County suburbs that ask a variation of this question about neighborhood safety/crime and about the - entire - community. Without fail, crime in the entire community is always more of a problem in the community at large than in their own neighborhood. It’s perception versus looking out your front window.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:43 am:
===Sort of sloppy and unkept===
More concerned about his policy ideas, which are about as you described his appearance /s
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:48 am:
The name ID is not what I would have expected for statewide elected officials who have repeatedly been on the ballot.
I’ll go ahead and cling to some confirmation bias, it is easy to hate on the Mayor of Chicago no matter who it is. It is like you get elected and you’re immediately responsible for every thing bad that happens in Chicago even if it is because of something that happened before most Chicagoans were born.
An uptick in favorability might be expected in an election contest to decide who to blame for everything that’s not going great next (this is in no way a statement intended to suggest that Mayors of Chicago do not individually earn their ire, they certainly do)
- Tom - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:55 am:
“While the poll was conducted among adult residents and not from registered voting lists, the attitudes of city residents likely reflect the sentiments of the city’s voting population at large.” Quoted directly from the Tribune story.
This is not a leap I can or would rely on. There is a reason campaigns and Independent Expenditures only poll registered voters. You cannot, nor should you, extrapolate. I am sure the Trib did it because it is a much cheaper way to get a sample.
- Alton Sinkhole - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:57 am:
Nearly 1 out of 10 respondents hadn’t heard of the Mayor??
I’m good on this one, thanks. Does seem Johnson is rebounding a teeny bit but yeah this is not proof more wish casting
- Think Again - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 11:58 am:
=survey of 500 residents of the city of Chicago =
Talk about a small sample size; for point of reference, there are 77 neighborhoods in Chicago.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:00 pm:
===Talk about a small sample size===
Not for a regular poll. For a poll which surveys people in all 50 wards, yes, it’s very small.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:01 pm:
“14 percent have no opinion of him”
Of the four mayors I’ve had while living here, Johnson is the one that people don’t seem to actually spend time thinking/talking about. Whenever a major topic comes up, other local/state leaders seem to be the face of them more and he fades to the background. That could be to his benefit, but I think those that are thinking of him already have their opinions baked in.
- Amalia - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:04 pm:
all that counts is how one candidate can thread the needle, getting the SW and NW sides to vote in big numbers and finding those on the lakefront who are sick of the way things are going. it’s gonna get more racial. someone who goes through his comments from the last year can find that a high percentage of the time he’s only addressing one community.
- The Farm Grad - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:06 pm:
Ideally, I’d like a mayoral candidate who will run on reassessing 30% of the City’s operating expenses.
But if I have to choose between (i) a Mayor who won’t materially touch operating expenses, but wants to fund them via progressive taxation, and (ii) a Mayor who won’t materially touch operating expenses, but wants to fund them via regressive (garbage, for example) taxation, I will choose (i)
I’ll also add, if you glance at the spreads Chicago debt is trading at in the municipal markets, No Bueno
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:17 pm:
=a high percentage of the time he’s only addressing one community.=
Ya think?
- Remember the Alamo II - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:18 pm:
Realistically, in order to fix Chicago’s fiscal problems, you will have to increase revenues and reduce operational spending. I have been saying this for several mayors now. Whoever shows the determination to actually do this will undoubtedly infuriate Chicago voters in the process, but at least at that point, the City will be moving in the right direction financially. The City cannot afford new programs when they cannot fund the programs they already have. No amount of progressive revenue is going to erase the decades of mismanagement and bad business deals.
- JS Mill - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:19 pm:
=What it does show is that Mayor Johnson has been clawing his way out of his deep hole (the president is no doubt helping with that) as far as favorability is concerned.=
Give him a minute, he can fix that trend (negatively) pretty quickly.
- FormerBearsFan - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:32 pm:
I assume the 170 people in this poll that think the mayor is doing a good job all derive their livlihood from his policies, either directly or indirectly. I think the entire Chicago region will benefit if somebody else is mayor.
- Frida's Boss - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:43 pm:
Interestingly, the Donald Trump effect has helped the Mayor. He could ride this to the run off.
There is a reason Alexi now swears at every event he speaks at, saying F Trump. People want that fighter. Worked well for Julianna.
The Trump effect has changed the entire landscape of the collar counties as well.
- Google is Your Friend - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 12:48 pm:
==* These three results will blow the haters’ minds…==
Including the editorial board of the newspaper that commissioned the poll.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Apr 27, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
Mike Quigley is courageously taking positions that were debunked 10+ years ago. He might try hiring someone who read Heaton v. Quinn, 2015 IL 118585.