Who will replace Lori Lightfoot as Chicago mayor?

UPDATE posted at 10:43 PM EST:

Brandon Johnson has won Chicago's mayoral runoff and will become Chicago's new mayor next month.

Original story below:

As the night drags on, the outcome of the Chicago mayoral race still remains unclear.

Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson faced off in Chicago's mayoral runoff on Tuesday after advancing from a February contest in which current Mayor Lori Lightfoot saw her re-election hopes dashed when she placed third, failing to qualify for the April runoff contest.

Johnson is a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Vallas, who served as CEO of Chicago Public Schools more than two decades ago, ran for mayor in 2019 as well but failed to advance to the runoff. In the February 2023 election, he finished in first with a comfortable lead over Johnson, who placed second.

Vallas had been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

The Chicago Teachers' Union backed Johnson, who, according to the Associated Press, is a former teacher and union organizer.

"Brandon began his career as a public school teacher, first at Jenner Academy in Cabrini-Green and then at Westinghouse College Prep on the West Side, where he experienced firsthand how school closures, unemployment and gun violence impacted his students and their communities," according to brandonforchicago.com. "Brandon went on to become an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, where he led multi-racial coalitions to defend neighborhood schools from privatization, reduce high-stakes standardized testing and expand access to state funding."

U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García of Illinois, who finished in fourth place during the Chicago mayoral contest earlier this year, just announced that his 28-year-old daughter passed away. "Last night our beloved daughter, Rosa, passed away at the age of 28. Our family is completely heartbroken. Rosa joined our family as a young girl who had been in the foster care system. We did our best to provide a stable, loving, and welcoming home for her. Our family asks for privacy and welcomes your thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time," García said in a statement on Tuesday.

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