The hotly-contested Chicago mayoral race is down to the wire, with polls showing Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas in a dead heat as Election Day quickly approaches.
Both candidates are campaigning non stop, and as the nation watches what happens in Chicago, the contest is closing in on racial issues. Sunday marked an especially busy day as both candidates visited churches across the city to drum up last-minute support ahead of Tuesday.
While a blessing for Vallas occurred at New Life Covenant Church, one also took place for Johnson - at the House of Hope.
“I'm the only elected official who put an entire budget around Black people, because we recognize our liberation is the liberation for everyone," Johnson said.
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The candidates are not just divided on issues like public safety and education, but many others.
On March, 18, at a Kenwood Academy forum, Johnson discussed the race, saying "this is about Black labor versus white wealth. This is what this battle is about."
On Sunday, however, Johnson said "that's not a quote from me."
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"This is a multicultural movement, Black, white, Brown, Asian," he stated.
Meanwhile, Vallas, who campaigned with retired Secretary of State Jesse White, dismissed critics who say he's more of a Republican.
"My opponent did say that the investigation into the impeachment of the former president. He called it a witch-hunt," Johnson said. "He’s the one that invoked the extremist views into this race.”
"At the end of the day we all know that's hogwash, but it's interesting, because, actually last week, he began to switch his message, and instead of saying that I'm a Republican, he was saying that I'm an old machine Democrat," Vallas stated. "So I don't know, you know, try to figure that one out."
The Vallas team signals the race will be close, and both candidates predict they will be Chicago's next mayor.
"You have people on the North Side of Chicago, the West Side, the Southeast," Johnson said. "I know there are individuals who want to divide the city of Chicago, we’re running to unite the city of Chicago."
In a sign of how close the race is, neither candidate has pulled their negative ads, which candidates typically do to close the race on a positive message. This time, attacks are on the air until the end.
"The next mayor is not a solo act," Vallas commented. "The next mayor has to be the type of leader that summons the type of team that can get the city back on track."
