U.S. Rep. Garcia, progressives will unite behind mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson, CTU president predicts
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates listens as Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson speaks to reporters in September at a ceremony in front of CTU headquarters. The street there was designated as Honorary Karen Lewis CTU Way after the former CTU president, who died in 2021.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said Thursday she expects vanquished mayoral challenger U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia to endorse Brandon Johnson in the April 4 mayoral runoff, bringing Chicago’s fractured family of progressives back together.
“I know that Congressman Garcia is going to be responsible, as an elder statesman, to bring his support ... to the forefront at this point. It depends on it. We’ve been in this fight together,” Davis Gates told the Sun-Times.
“Karen Lewis, perhaps the most iconic leader of this union ... said Chuy Garcia [should run for mayor] when she was unable to do it in 2015. And it was that partnership, that coalition that gives us this moment. I know that Chuy is forever grateful for Karen’s support. He has even said that he is indebted to Karen for her support. So I fully expect the congressman to offer his support for Brandon and his entire team to offer that support, quite frankly, because we’ve built these things together.”
Garcia could not be reached for comment.
Johnson’s campaign manager Jason Lee said Johnson and Garcia have had “several good conversations” since the runoff. More meetings with a “broader group” of Garcia’s supporters are scheduled for next week in hopes of nailing down an endorsement that could be pivotal to denying Paul Vallas the 50-to-55% of the Hispanic vote that Vallas needs to win the runoff.
“I feel confident because I know Congressman Garcia and I know a lot of the people who work alongside him. I know their values. In this particular race, there’s a pretty stark difference in values. I just see that being the decisive element,” Lee said.
“Chuy is part of an independent political organization. They have a process. We need to go through that process...We’ve got to talk to everyone and let them know what our vision is for Chicago, how we can work together. But, the conversations so far have been fruitful, positive.”
In 2015, Garcia forced then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel into Chicago’s first mayoral runoff on the strength of foot soldiers and campaign cash provided by the Chicago Teachers Union. Garcia stepped in when then CTU President Karen Lewis was forced to drop out of the race after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Mayoral candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia conceded to Mayor Rahm Emanuel at an election night rally at UIC Forum on April 7, 2015.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
This time, Garcia was forced to go it alone, and it showed in his fourth-place finish with 13.8% of the vote. It was a humiliating defeat for a candidate who started the race as the apparent frontrunner in some early polls.
Garcia took so long to make up his mind, the progressive coalition of labor unions and political groups that has formed the backbone of his political support for his entire career got tired of waiting.
They endorsed Johnson, throwing their full political and financial muscle behind him. Johnson got $1.1 million from CTU in Round One and is poised to receive millions more for the runoff.
Just this week, the CTU’s Executive Board authorized diverting $8-a-month from union dues paid by each of their members to provide up to $2 million to their political action committees. That money will bankroll the runoff campaigns of Johnson and City Council candidates endorsed by the CTU.
At the very least, the CTU is expected to match the $500,000 that SEIU Healthcare is contributing to Johnson’s runoff campaign.
On Thursday, Davis Gates acknowledged she hasn’t talked to Garcia since his fourth-place finish. She was asked whether there was more behind the progressive family rift than Garcia’s dawdling.
“I’m not aware of a rift. … Listen, we’re here. So whatever it was, it isn’t anymore,” Davis Gates said of any behind-the-scenes tensions.
After finishing with 21.6% of the vote to 33% for Vallas, Lee wouldn’t even entertain the thought of having to win without Garcia’s endorsement.
“We want to broaden the coalition. I don’t want to try to win without it when we can come together and work together. We don’t want to make things harder than they need to be,” Lee said.
“Historically, we’ve considered a Chuy Garcia endorsement to be pretty important. It’s why most of the leaders in this state who’ve run have sought it out aggressively. He is revered all over and even more so in his own community. In Round One, he got more votes than Mr. Wilson. It would be great to pick up someone like Congressman Garcia. It would be valuable. Very valuable.”