A voter casts a ballot during primaries in Chicago in June 2022. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Turnout for Chicago’s municipal runoff broke records in several ways and included an apparent boost in young adult turnout. A clear choice between mayoral candidates and convenience in casting a ballot could be two major drivers of that.

Chicago is set to hold the Democratic National Convention next year, the first time the party has held its nominating convention in the Windy City since 1996. Meanwhile, another tight aldermanic race on the North Side has come to a formal close.

A City Council race on the West Side still has no clear victor days after polls closed, and the apparent loser in a North Side race has refused to concede pending the complete counting of all mail-in ballots.

Members of the City Council meet at City Hall. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

When the Chicago City Council is sworn in on May 15, at least 13 new aldermen will pledge to represent their wards for the next four years as the council as a whole shifts younger and more progressive. 

The swell of new faces brings with it an increase in the number of women, the first time two Asian American women have been elected to City Council, an increase in the number of LGBTQ aldermen, one new Democratic Socialist and a bump in the number of progressive-backed aldermen. 
 

County Commissioner Brandon Johnson speaks at a mayoral runoff rally March 30, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson (D-1) will vacate his seat on the county board of commissioners when he becomes Chicago’s next mayor in May.  

The process for selecting a replacement to serve on the board will come down to a panel of local Democratic Party officials but also tees up a special election for the soon-to-be-open seat in 2024.

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson smiles upon the crowd during his victory speech Tuesday evening. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson (D-1) will be the city’s next mayor after defeating former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in a contentious runoff election. Johnson will become the fourth Black mayor.

The City Council will look different after the new aldermen are sworn in May 15. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]  

All three incumbent aldermen appointed last year by Mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared victorious Tuesday night in their bids to keep the City Council seats, unofficial election results show.  

And while embattled incumbent Ald. Jim Gardiner (45) finished the night ahead of his challenger Megan Mathias, an attorney, by about 11 percentage points, incumbent Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29) was ahead of his challenger CB Johnson by only 63 votes with one precinct left to report. 

An early voting location. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

As mayoral and aldermanic candidates make a final push to ensure their supporters turn out to the polls for the April 4 election, early voter turnout is up in this year’s runoff election compared to the 2019 and 2015 runoff elections.  

The number of Chicagoans who have voted early in person and submitted Vote By Mail ballots is also overtaking the numbers seen in the Feb. 28 municipal election, data from the Chicago Board of Elections shows. 

Former CPS CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson give victory speeches at Election Night watch parties on Feb. 28, 2023, as both head into an April runoff for mayor. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spent the last several weeks collecting nearly double the amount of donations compared to Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson (D-1) as Vallas has earned endorsements from across the political spectrum and from key labor groups.