Chicago

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her reelection bid. The race for the next Mayor comes down to Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson; Vallas is a moderate Democrat who focuses on law and order, whereas Johnson has argued that they need to reform the police to the point of shifting resources. While Johnson does not use the term defund the police, it would be fair to argue that he supports moving funding to a point where public safety would take a back seat to fund other programs.

Chicago has not ousted an elected mayor in forty years, which shows that the people of Chicago are focused on change. It does not help that Mayor Lightfoot was dealt a bad hand during her tenure. Crime was surging, and the COVID pandemic added to this issue. It all adds up to a dynamic that paints the picture of Vallas being the candidate for the moment.

The race in Chicago is another example of the balance between public safety and some wanting to shift resources away from public safety to social services. While both are important, the voters, time and time again, are more willing to choose law and order policies over those they perceive as being soft on crime. Democrats should be paying close attention to the Chicago mayor's race, especially when it comes to the growing debate amongst members of the Democratic Party on crime.