Where Vallas and Johnson won the most voters
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Now that the dust has settled, the Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnsoncampaigns will be poring over Tuesday's vote totals to chart a clear route to the fifth floor of City Hall.
Why it matters: The candidates will have to focus on specific neighborhoods to win, and the above map could offer pivotal clues.
- Though Vallas won almost double Johnson's vote totals, Johnson could gain ground if he strategically works for votes in wards that went for other candidates.
Driving the news: Vallas won big in the Northwest and Southwest Side wards where police officers and other first responders live.
- This includes neighborhoods like Mount Greenwood and Edison Park, which both went for former President Trump in 2020.
The other side: Johnson did well in Lakefront Liberal neighborhoods like Lakeview, Edgewater and Rogers Park, not to mention Lincoln Square.
- These were Mayor Lightfoot's wards in 2019.
The intrigue: Lightfoot may have come in third, but she scored big percentages in Black wards on the South and West sides, even if turnout there was low.
- This could help Johnson, who came in second in many of those wards, if the mayor decides to throw her support behind him in the runoff.
- Also, Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García did very well in Little Village and parts of the West Side. It remains to be seen whether the Latino vote will favor Johnson or Vallas.
Zoom in: Vallas also dominated downtown, wealthy Lincoln Park and near North Side neighborhoods like Streeterville and River North.
- These could be tough wards for Johnson, who has campaigned on taxing the rich to pay for social services.
What we're watching: The downtown business community did not endorse anyone for the municipal election, but that may change for the runoff.
What they're saying: "As the leading business organization in Chicago, our members have consistently stated their top priorities are public safety, skyrocketing property taxes, revitalizing tourism, and economic development," the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce said in a statement last night.
- "We cannot afford leadership that supports higher taxes and is not committed to keeping our businesses open and our streets safe."
Between the lines: Though it's not an official endorsement, parts of that statement seem pulled from Vallas' campaign website.
The bottom line: Whether overtly or quietly, the business community could end up funneling a lot of resources Vallas' way for the runoff.