CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Challenger Paul Vallas’ campaign was celebrating the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune Friday.
The paper wrote that Chicago’s in need of a turnaround, and said Vallas is a “smart, passionate, and experienced candidate for mayor who long has specialized in doing precisely that.”
Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot would be the paper’s second choice. The Tribune praised Lightfoot for steering the city through the pandemic.
Vallas also won the endorsement of Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd).
As he’s gained momentum, Vallas has unsurprisingly also attracted attacks from his rivals. Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia took aim at the former Chicago Public Schools CEO in a new TV ad, in which Vallas tells an interviewer that he’s “more of a Republican” than a Democrat and says he’s philosophically against abortion.
In the advertisement, Garcia promises to protect abortion rights.
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Meanwhile, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson — already in decent shape because of endorsements from the Chicago Teachers Union and other labor groups — garnered another key endorsement in his bid for mayor.
Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), Lightfoot’s handpicked head of the City Council Budget Committee, announced she’s endorsing Johnson.
Dowel had been seen as an ally to Lightfoot, until recently.
Unlike previous mayoral elections, there will be no endorsements from the Chicago Sun-Times, as that paper is now a nonprofit entity.
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