About Brandon

Portrait of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is running for reelection

Brandon Johnson was sworn in as the 57th Mayor of the City of Chicago on May 15, 2023.

Since taking office, Mayor Johnson has led the steepest declines in violence in modern Chicago history by targeting the systemic roots of violence, strengthening constitutional policing, and connecting city government to neighborhood Community Violence Intervention (CVI). 

He has overseen historic investments in housing and economic development to make life more affordable without displacing lifelong Chicagoans, including through his historic $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development (HED) Bond and first-of-its-kind Green Social Housing program. 

Mayor Johnson began the Cut the Tape initiative to reduce barriers for equitable development and small businesses, allowing for faster, more affordable development that benefits communities. 

Mayor Johnson has invested more into youth job opportunities than any previous administration. Our young people have filled record numbers of jobs — nearly 120,000 over four years — through Mayor Johnson’s Chicago Youth Works and My CHI. My Future. initiatives. 

Mayor Johnson has directed billions of dollars in investments to local communities across Chicago. He has: 

  • Directed the largest TIF (Tax Increment Financing) surplus in Chicago's history to fund Chicago Public Schools, while expanding the Sustainable Community Schools model 

  • Reopened mental health clinics and expanded the Crisis Assistance Response & Engagement Program (CARE) citywide 

  • Recreated the Department of Environment and transitioned all city buildings and operations to use 100% renewable energy 

  • Provided millions of dollars in grants to neighborhood small businesses, community organizations, and artists 

  • Built over 100 new miles of bikeways, expanded the Complete Streets and Vision Zero programs, and reduced violence on public transit 

  • Improved essential city services like tree trimming and road maintenance 

He has done all of this while closing inherited multimillion-dollar budget deficits through responsible efficiencies and progressive revenue like the innovative Social Media and Responsibility Amusement (SMART) Tax. 

Mayor Johnson has been Protecting Chicago from unlawful federal overreach, signing a series of executive orders and filing more than 40 legal actions to protect Chicago residents from the federal government’s actions and inactions. 

Mayor Johnson’s executive orders, including the ICE-Free Zone order, established the blueprint for responding to federal overreach that has been adopted by cities, towns, and counties nationwide — protecting more than 10% of America’s total population.  

Photo of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is running for reelection, with his family

Mayor Johnson 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 saw firsthand how school closures, unemployment, and gun violence affected his students and their communities. 

He then became 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. 

Mayor Johnson was elected Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District in 2018. During his five years on the Cook County Board, he led efforts to pass the Just Housing Ordinance, which prohibited housing discrimination against formerly incarcerated people. He also passed legislation securing legal representation for immigrants facing deportation, and he coordinated COVID-19 resources for low-income seniors in nursing homes. 

Mayor Johnson and his wife, First Lady Stacie Johnson, live in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side, where they are raising their children Owen, Ethan, and Braedyn.

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