Politics
Ten Mayoral Hopefuls Target Brandon Johnson's Record in Lake View Forum
At a Temple Sholom forum, ten of the sixteen candidates vying to unseat Mayor Brandon Johnson sparred over schools, housing, and antisemitism, with Comptroller Susana Mendoza leading the criticism of the incumbent's handling of hate-crime reporting.
Ten candidates seeking to become Chicago's next mayor gathered Thursday night at Temple Sholom in Lake View, launching the 2027 campaign just nine days after the midterm elections. The forum, moderated by Rabbi Shoshanah Conover, featured ten of the sixteen candidates who filed petitions for mayor last month, each initially given two minutes to address public safety, education, and antisemitism before time constraints cut responses to one minute.
Mayor Brandon Johnson was notably absent, attending a community budget town hall in Uptown. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a fundraising powerhouse whose focus has shifted to a mayoral run, also did not attend.
Chicago Public Schools emerged as an early flashpoint. Former state counsel Bill Quinlan took the first swipe at Johnson, suggesting the city close under-enrolled schools and renovate or build new ones to function more like "rec centers." U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley countered, "I don't want to close the schools, I want to fill the schools," while advocating for 50,000 affordable homes in underserved neighborhoods. Businessman Joe Holberg went further, calling for 100,000 housing units.
On antisemitism, several candidates criticized Johnson's push for a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza delivered the sharpest rebuke, saying the city's report on antisemitism was "incomplete" under the Johnson administration and pledging to revamp it. "It is the mayor's job to bring down the temperature," Mendoza said.
Lobbyist John Kelly used the question to promote his public safety platform of adding 1,000 Chicago police officers, but Quinlan retorted that solving all crime, including hate crimes, was not as "simple" as hiring more officers.
The forum often became a measuring contest of prior political experience, leaving independent candidates to lean on policy ideas. Danielle Carter-Walters, co-founder of Chicago Flips Red, pushed for school choice to funnel more money toward private schools, while Cook County Green Party chair Zoe Ma backed a universal basic income program for the city.
Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas touted his 20 years in City Council, including as a committee chair and floor leader for former Mayor Lori Lightfootâ"don't hold it against me," he joked. Former Chicago Housing Authority Chair Matt Brewer cited his appointments by Lightfoot and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel as evidence of his coalition-building ability. Mendoza highlighted her "trifecta" of experience as City Clerk and outgoing state comptroller, while Kelly argued his lobbying background would make him an effective coalition builder.
Quigley pointed to his congressional budget work and called for a City Council version of the Congressional Budget Office to increase transparency and alderperson input. "The next mayor has to be willing to be, on paper, weaker," Quigley said. "We need a city charter that codifies that."
The crowded field and the sharp exchanges signal a competitive and contentious race ahead, with candidates eager to define themselves against the incumbentâeven in his absence.