(NewsInsights.org) – Brandon Johnson, a teacher who became a progressive activist and then a politician, won the Chicago mayoral race just six months ago, on May 15, 2023, after defeating Paul Vallas in a run-off election the previous month. Yet, in his first six months in office, Johnson’s approval rating has dropped to a dismal 28%, according to a poll commissioned by the Illinois Policy Institute.
Johnson’s approval number is only a percentage point above former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s during the same month constituents voted her out of office. Policy issues that most dissatisfied many of the 800 voters who answered the poll, taken between October 18 and 22, included crime and public safety, migrant management, and housing and homelessness.
In an interview with station WGN9, marking six months on the job, Johnson noted murders and violent crime rates had dropped and continued on a downward trend. However, robberies, including home invasions, had increased by 25%, according to the Chicago Police Department.
When asked what his office was doing to combat the rising wave of thefts, Johnson pointed to a new police contract providing officers with more pay and bonuses. Yet Johnson claimed the city couldn’t solve the problem with policing alone. He also named Garien Gatewood the first Chicago Deputy Mayor of Community Service. Part of Gatewood’s job includes addressing the root causes of crime.
Johnson has argued that the issues of homelessness and migrant management go hand-in-hand. He also admitted that without more partner funding from the state of Illinois or the Federal government, the city has nearly exhausted its resources to house and feed the immigrants who continue arriving daily. As winter temperatures plunge, the issue has become more critical.
The complete Illinois Policy Institute survey clearly showed that most respondents tended to vote Democrat. Yet, responses from February and October showed the cohort was also increasingly unhappy with the policy direction the city is continuing to follow. Without a significant shift in strategies, it seems Mayor Johnson could follow his predecessor out the door.
Copyright 2023, NewsInsights.org
