* Crain’s…
With Chicago’s 2027 mayoral election seven months away, a new University of Chicago poll suggests Mayor Brandon Johnson faces an uphill climb if he seeks a second term.
Just 13.6% of likely Chicago voters said they want Johnson to run for re-election, according to a survey commissioned by the University of Chicago’s Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.
Fifty-eight percent said they were not excited by the prospect of another Johnson campaign.
The poll also found Johnson with a 23% job approval rating, down slightly from 25% in the institute’s December 2025 ChicagoSpeaks survey.
* More from the poll…
Percentage of respondents excited for each candidate among likely voters
Percentage of respondents who don’t know enough about candidate among likely voters
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also had the lowest “not excited” rating among the potential candidates tested, with just 14.5% of likely voters saying they were not excited about a possible Giannoulias candidacy. Comptroller Susana Mendoza followed at 16%, while 20% said the same about US Rep. Mike Quigley.
* The Methodology…
This report describes findings from a survey of Chicagoans regarding opinions on the job performance of the City’s Mayor and excitement for potential candidates in the 2027 ChicagoMayoral election. The survey included 1,194 Chicagoans age 18+ and was completed betweenJune 15 to June 23 as part of the quarterly ChicagoSpeaks® panel. Conducted by NORC at theUniversity of Chicago, ChicagoSpeaks is a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the city of Chicago household population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.05 percentage points.
- Sox Fan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 12:48 pm:
29.7% excitement for MBJ - when negative publicity on him is more saturated than any other candidate - makes him look pretty viable to me.
- low level - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 12:51 pm:
As a lifelong Chicago resident, count me as completely unexcited about Alexi. I have never understood his appeal. I vote for him in general elections but not in primaries if there is another choice.
Whether he’d be a good mayor is another matter entirely but count me out in the first round.
- George Ryan Reynolds - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 12:56 pm:
Was it the shirtless, jumping-into-Lake-Michigan photo that generated all this excitement, or the “back in the lab” beefcake workout videos?
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 12:57 pm:
Why would anyone in their right mind want to be Mayor of Chicago? It’s a whole bunch of problems and very little upside. The finances are terrible. Plus it’s never really been a springboard to other office. It’s a dead end.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 12:58 pm:
===Why would anyone in their right mind want to be Mayor of Chicago?===
It’s a great city. Just because two people screwed up the job doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You can do a lot as mayor.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:02 pm:
===makes him look pretty viable to me===
I could use a lot more optimism in my life right now, so I’d like you to share your secrets, please.
lol
- Annon'in - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:19 pm:
Pretty sure most Americans would identify as “non excited” with just about ANY pol running for any office anywhere in USA. But its summer. Capt Fax the best way to build optimism is think good thoughts about SOXv. Cards World Series.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
The poll should be a warning to Mayor Johnson. Giannoulias has name recognition and money. Mendoza and Pappas are experienced politicians. These aren’t inexperienced people the voters don’t know.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:27 pm:
- two people screwed up the job -
Only 2?
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
===Mendoza and Pappas are experienced politicians.===
Sometimes experience means folks run a campaign that would’ve been a great campaign 30 years ago.
- The Farm Grad - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
It’s going to be very dynanmic.
About nine months ago everyone had written off Bass in LA to get reelected. She had approvals in the mid-20s.
Today, the prediction markets have her at 65 to win in November.
I didn’t vote for Johnson last election, but I do support him today.
Johnson opposes regressive taxation, and embraces progressive revenue sources. I’m waiting to see what the other candidates propose
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:44 pm:
===the prediction markets ===
Don’t ever cite those here. Thanks.
- Incandenza - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:45 pm:
== Plus it’s never really been a springboard to other office. It’s a dead end. ==
It’s the mayor of the 3rd largest city in the nation. That alone makes it a crowning achievement for one’s career. Rahm did the job AFTER being COS to a President, and he didn’t see that as a humble stepping down at all.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
I do not know if Alexi will actually run.
MBJ is in a bad position, which he 100% earned with his failures to govern the City. Marty Quinn and Pat O’Connor both have said do not count MBJ out, however. The Mayor could survive round one then try to paint himself as the lesser of two evils in round two. I do not think it will work, but I would not count him out either.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
=Johnson opposes regressive taxation, and embraces progressive revenue sources.=
I wouldn’t call “tax millionaire and billionaires” truly progressive. Especially when he couples that with trying to give a billionaire family a free stadium paid for by the working people of the city.
Constantly carping for more money and demanding other solve your problems isn’t “progressive”. Millennial? Sure. Gen Z? Yes. Real progressives try to bring people together to solve problems as a team, Pritzker comes to mind. Johnson is a petulant toddler.
I state this knowing full well I do not have “progressive” bonafides as a center-right independent. But these days I usually feel like have have to vote for the democrat.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:56 pm:
- would’ve been a great campaign 30 years ago.-
You could be right. But, you can’t say Mendoza, Pappas, and Giannoulias aren’t real candidates who have to be taken seriously. This race is bringing out competition for Mayor Johnson.
- Montrose - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 1:57 pm:
only 11.8% of people saying they don’t know enough about Johnson is an ugly stat for him. There aren’t many persuadable voters for him to pull in.
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:01 pm:
=== I do not know if Alexi will actually run. ===
I suspect that if he doesn’t run, there will be some labor unions that are very unhappy with him.
- New Day - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:09 pm:
The excitement number is truly meaningless. It’s so obviously just name recognition as to prove it a complete waste of the 1s and 0s it took to generate it.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:22 pm:
=== I do not know if Alexi will actually run. ===
Seen this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLGSRfmLi9M
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:27 pm:
===Seen this?===
No, good point. Chicago, Chicago, Chicago.
- Trinity - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
As someone who was formerly in finance,I am concerned a State Comptroller who has never managed a budget believes they can run the 3rd largest city in the U.S. There is a BIG difference between managing the money itself (State Treasurer)and performing transactions (State Comptroller). Our last two mayors had ZERO finance background, didn’t turn out too well. Just an observation.
- West Sider - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:51 pm:
The Greeks who come to mind are Icarus and Narcissis.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 2:56 pm:
@West Sider. Outstanding
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:06 pm:
“Only 2?”
Agreed. I’d say the last 5 couldn’t get reelected at the end, for good reasons.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:09 pm:
=Our last two mayors had ZERO finance background, didn’t turn out too well. Just an observation.=
I can’t think of any Chicago Mayors that would have met this criteria. Perhaps your issue is your’s alone.
- Think Again - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:15 pm:
=Our last two mayors had ZERO finance background, didn’t turn out too well. Just an observation=
Careful what you wish for, Alexi was a senior loan officer at Broadway Bank, so he may have the wrong kind of financial experience.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/04/01/20-million-in-loans-to-felons/?clearUserState=true
- Shytown - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:26 pm:
Johnson is toast. He’ll try to burn everything down and take it with him. Everyone is so far behind Alexi on the money race that it will be impossible to catch up, minus a self funder getting in.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
===Narcissis===
He is such a pretty flower.
- Ben Tre - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:52 pm:
Wilson is only 1.6 points behind Johnson. This could be his chance!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:58 pm:
===it will be impossible to catch up, minus a self funder getting in===
Careful. That was the line on Raja for a year. Didn’t work out because his campaign was too out of touch with the primary electorate.
If you look at that ad above, it says “Washington” instead of “Trump.” I think that’s a mistake for a city race, but whatevs.
- Trinity - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 4:18 pm:
===I can’t think of any Chicago Mayors that would have met this criteria. Perhaps your issue is your’s alone.====
Selling our parking meters and having to raise taxes to cover city pensions are not “an issue” that is mine alone. Rahm actually had to clean up quite a mess. Let’s not repeat the past.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 4:29 pm:
I do not want to say Alexi has too much money for the Mayoral election, but I think he could reach a point of diminishing returns especially if he spends it all on TV. I think the best MBJ opponent will have some liberal or progressive bona fides. Mendoza seems to be trying Vallas’s run right in February, then move center for April strategy. If she or someone similar is his opponent, that is the only way MBJ could win.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 4:46 pm:
The challenge facing Brandon Johnson is not his lack of progressive ideas, but his proven inability to implement them.
- Ducky - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 5:39 pm:
I bet that 29.7% is just excited to vote against Mayor Johnson.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 5:51 pm:
- not his lack of progressive ideas, but his proven inability to implement them. -
He’s not even willing to try. All he does is point fingers, complete laziness.
- low level - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 6:38 pm:
==Karen Bass, LA comparison==
The dynamics in LA are much different than here. You can try to draw parallels but they are iffy at best. Besides, I am not convinced Bass will win. Her challenger is very progressive in a year when lefties are doing very well. We will see.
MBJ has been digging a hole for himself since about a year into his term. He has to stop digging before he can turn it around.