On the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Chicago voted in Brandon Johnson - a Black, progressive candidate - as its new mayor.
"It was right here in the city of Chicago that Martin Luther King Jr. organized for justice, dreaming that one day that the civil rights movement and the labor rights movement will come together," Johnson said in his victory speech just moments after he became the projected winner of the city's tight mayoral race. "Well, Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights movement and the labor rights movement have finally collided. We are experiencing the very dream of the greatest man who ever walked the earth."
Tuesday marked 55 years since MLK Jr. was assassinated.
"Today we did not just commemorate the life and the legacy of one of the greatest humanitarians who ever walked the planet Earth. Today, we did not just acknowledge the assassination of a dreamer," Johnson said. "Today, the dream is alive. So today, we celebrate the revival and the resurrection of the city of Chicago."
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Johnson, Cook County's commissioner, triumphed over former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the city's runoff election, the Associated Press projected late Tuesday, despite a race that initially seemed it would be too close to call.
Johnson, who finished second behind Vallas in the Feb. 28 general election, built that lead with nearly 99% of precincts reporting.
Vallas thanked supporters for their work for his campaign, saying he called Johnson and told him that he "fully expects" him to be the next mayor of the city.
"I ran for mayor to bring this city together, and it's clear from this result tonight that this city is deeply divided," Vallas said. "It's critically important that we use this opportunity to come together. I've offered him my full support in this transition. I look forward to working with him and providing him with the support he needs to be successful."
Johnson started his victory speech Tuesday evening with a message to those who didn't vote for him.
"Here's what I want you to know: that I care about you, I value you, and I want to hear from you," he said. "I want to work with you and I'll be the mayor for you too. Because this campaign has always been about building a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all the people of Chicago."
He went on to tout many of the unions who backed him and thank his family and supporters.
"There's more than enough for everybody in the city of Chicago," he said. "It's a city with incredible tapestry of taste, culture, people from all over the world. We are a city with this natural beauty and history like no other place in America. And we are a city that has been the conscience of the nation time and time again."
Johnson started his campaign in late October after he was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, and he racked up the support of other labor unions along the way, along with the backing of former mayoral rival Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García.
After outlasting incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot and García in the opening round of voting in February, Johnson took every opportunity to criticize Vallas for his connections to the Fraternal Order of Police after that group endorsed the frontrunner.
Johnson got his start as an elected official after narrowly defeating former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin in the Democratic primary in 2018, before later running unopposed in the general election that fall.
Johnson is an Austin resident, and lives with his wife and three children.
"Here's the truth, looking out for our neighbors, it makes everyone safe," Johnson said. "Tonight is proof that by building a multicultural, multigenerational movement, we can bring together everyone, no matter if you live on the North Side, the South Side, the Southeast Side, the Southwest Side, the West Side. The most radical thing we could ever do for is to actually love people, and our administration will do just that."
