Ald. Sophia King (4), chair of the City Council Progressive Caucus who ran as a mayoral candidate in the Feb. 28 election, endorsed former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff. But a group of nine aldermen who are members of the Progressive Caucus issued a statement saying King’s endorsement doesn’t speak for the caucus. 

KING BACKS VALLAS — Ald. Sophia King (4) on Tuesday announced she is backing former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the April 4 runoff to be Chicago’s next mayor. King, who is currently the chair of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus, ran as a candidate for mayor in the Feb. 28 election and came in eighth out of nine candidates with about 1.3 percent of the vote. King said she didn’t make her endorsement decision lightly. “The city needs leadership, someone that can bring us together, someone that can build a team,” King said on Tuesday. “We need someone with proven leadership skills and the ability to bring us together. That is why I'm supporting Paul Vallas for mayor.” King said Vallas “has the strongest plans to make our neighborhoods safe, secure jobs and community investment, shore up minority participation and bring trades back to the schools.” King said Vallas’ platform is “appealing to a number of folks across the spectrum.” King, who gave up another shot at her council seat to run for mayor said she met with both Johnson and Vallas before deciding who she would support. “I think more often than not, if we have great communication, even with people who may have different philosophies, we can come together and bring our city together,” King said. With King’s endorsement Tuesday, all candidates except for Mayor Lori Lightfoot have backed a candidate in the runoff. Vallas has support from businessman Willie Wilson, community activist Ja’Mal Green, Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) and King. Johnson has support from Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.) and state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago). 
 

PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MEMBERS PUSH BACK — A group of nine aldermen who are members of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus on Tuesday issued a statement responding to Ald. Sophia King’s (4) endorsement of former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the April 4 runoff for mayor. King is currently the chair of the Progressive Caucus and the nine aldermen in their statement said King “does not speak for the Caucus in her endorsement of Paul Vallas.” The aldermen wrote in a statement that “there is nothing progressive about mayoral candidate Paul Vallas” and that his “track record is one of harming communities, particularly the most vulnerable.” All nine of the aldermen who signed the statement — Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20), Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25), Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33), Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Ald. Andre Vasquez (40), Ald. Matt Martin (47) and Ald. Maria Hadden (49) — have endorsed Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson (D-1) in the April 4 runoff. The council’s Progressive Reform Caucus was formed “as a coalition of alderpersons that stood against machine politics and championed progressive policies rooted in the needs of everyday Chicagoans,” the statement from the nine aldermen goes on to say. “As the majority of re-elected Progressive Caucus members, we have endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor because we know Brandon will prioritize working families and invest in Chicago neighborhoods, jobs, and schools,” the statement reads.