2023 Chicago mayoral election

2023 Chicago mayoral election

← 2019 February 28, 2023 (first round)
April 4, 2023 (runoff)
2027 →
Turnout35.85% Increase0.65pp (first round)[1]
38.67% Increase5.78pp (second round)
 
Candidate Brandon Johnson Paul Vallas Lori Lightfoot
First round 122,093
21.63%
185,743
32.90%
94,890
16.81%
Runoff 319,481
52.16%
293,033
47.84%
Eliminated

 
Candidate Chuy García Willie Wilson
First round 77,222
13.68%
51,567
9.13%
Runoff Eliminated Eliminated


Mayor before election

Lori Lightfoot
Democratic

Elected mayor

Brandon Johnson
Democratic

The 2023 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 28, 2023, to elect the mayor of Chicago, Illinois. With no candidate receiving a majority of votes in the initial round of the election, a runoff election was held on April 4. This two-round election took place alongside other 2023 Chicago elections, including races for City Council, city clerk, city treasurer, and police district councils. The election was officially nonpartisan, with winner Brandon Johnson being elected to a four-year term which began on May 15.

Incumbent Lori Lightfoot ran for a second term in office, but placed third in the first round. Former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson advanced to a runoff. Other candidates eliminated in the first round included U.S. Representative Chuy Garcia and businessman Willie Wilson. Johnson defeated Vallas in the runoff, in what was considered an upset.[2][3][4][5][6] This was the first Chicago mayoral election since adopting nonpartisan two-round system elections in which the candidate who won the most votes in the first round did not win the runoff.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference resultsprimary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff". AP NEWS. February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "Lightfoot is out — with Vallas in strong lead, expected to face Johnson in runoff". Chicago Sun-Times. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, setting stage for Chicago's mayoral race to be between Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas". Chicago Tribune. February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Brandon Johnson wins Chicago mayor's race". Axios. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Paz, Christian (April 4, 2023). "The big upset in the Chicago mayor's race, explained". Vox. Retrieved April 5, 2023.