Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is preparing to ask voters for another term, telling the New York Times that he intends to run again while promising more of the progressive governance that has defined his tenure.
His expected bid comes as Chicago continues wrestling with a grim national reputation for sheer homicide totals.
Speaking from his downtown campaign office, Johnson said he plans to “double down” on his agenda and “push for a city that is accessible” to working-class residents.
Apparently, the mayor believes Chicago voters have seen enough progress to demand another serving.
Johnson, 50, framed his leadership as a crusade against billionaires and corporate interests while claiming his administration has prioritized ordinary residents.
“That’s what we’re doing,” he told the newspaper after describing his vision of making Chicago the safest and most affordable major city in America.
The mayor also posted a “four more years” video on social media Sunday, promoting what he considers the major achievements of his first term.
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Four years ago, we promised to build the safest most affordable city in America by investing in people. Together we’ve made progress on delivering a better, stronger, and safer Chicago and our work is not done. Join us! pic.twitter.com/wopmJcP4gw
— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) September 13, 2026
That slogan may be an easy sell inside progressive circles, but the situation beyond City Hall offers a considerably tougher campaign message.
Public safety remains one of Johnson’s largest political liabilities, especially in struggling neighborhoods on the city’s south side where gun violence has tormented families for years.
Chicago regularly records the highest total number of homicides among American cities, even though several cities post higher rates when population is considered.
The Labor Day weekend provided another bloody reminder of the crisis.
Thirty-eight people were shot across the Democrat governed city, and eight of those victims were killed, according to reporting cited in the original account.
The final weekend of August was scarcely more reassuring.
Forty people were shot during that period, including two who died, adding another round of victims to statistics that Chicago residents have been forced to watch accumulate with depressing regularity.
During the 12 month period before September 4, authorities reported 435 homicides in Chicago, according to the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker.
The tracker said the chance of being murdered in Chicago is “already considerably higher than the risk of dying in a vehicle crash in Illinois.”
There has been a measure of improvement in the weekly murder count, with Chicago averaging eight homicides per week.
That figure is below the average of ten per week recorded in 2019 and also falls beneath the annual average from the previous three years.
Still, fewer killings than during other grim periods hardly turns Chicago into the safe urban model Johnson promised.
For families living in neighborhoods where gunfire remains a familiar sound, City Hall celebration may feel more like political salesmanship than a victory lap.
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Johnson has also drawn fierce criticism from conservatives and moderates over his sanctuary city agenda and resistance to immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.
His administration escalated that conflict by issuing an “ICE On Notice” order instructing Chicago police to investigate federal immigration agents.
City records showed that Johnson directed nearly $640 million toward caring for illegal aliens over a two-year period.
Critics argue that money could have supported Chicago’s troubled public schools, strengthened police resources, or addressed basic needs among citizens already paying the city’s bills.
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Johnson previously worked as a labor organizer and won the mayor’s office in 2023 after defeating incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
He plans to formally launch his reelection campaign at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, according to the Times.
The nonpartisan mayoral election is scheduled for February 2027.
If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the two leading contenders will advance to an April runoff.
Potential challengers are already lining up, including Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who is generally viewed as a more moderate progressive than Johnson.
United States Representative Mike Quigley of Chicago’s north side and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza have also entered the contest.
The Times described the coming election as a “formidable test” of Johnson’s “brand of progressive politics.”
Chicago voters will decide whether promises about affordability and accessibility can outweigh violent crime, sanctuary policies, massive migrant spending, and the stubborn realities visible on their own streets.
