Who is Brandon Johnson? All You Need to Know About Chicago's New Mayor

Brandon Johnson, a 47-year-old American educator and politician, has been elected as the mayor of Chicago on April 4, 2023. Here is all you need to know about him:

Brandon Johnson, a 47-year-old American educator and politician, has been elected as the mayor of Chicago on April 4, 2023, after triumphing over his opponent Paul Vallas.

Born on March 27, 1976, in Elgin, Illinois, United States, Johnson received his bachelor's degree in human services, with a focus on youth development programming and management, and his master's degree in teaching from Aurora University.

Johnson started his career as a social studies teacher at Jenner Academy Elementary and George Westinghouse College Prep. In 2011, he became an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union and organizing the 2012 Chicago teachers strike. He also helped lead field campaigns during the 2015 Chicago mayoral and aldermanic elections.

In the 2018 election for the Cook County Board of Commissioner's 1st district, Johnson challenged the incumbent Richard Boykin and won the Democratic Party primary election on March 20, 2018. He was sworn in as a Cook County commissioner on December 3, 2018.

Johnson announced his candidacy for the Chicago mayoral election on October 27, 2022. Described as a progressive candidate favored by the left, he advanced to the runoff election on April 4, 2023, after placing second in the initial round of the election.

In the runoff round, Johnson received several endorsements from prominent organizations and went on to defeat Paul Vallas to secure the mayoral position.

Johnson resides in the Austin neighborhood on the west side of Chicago with his wife Stacie and their three children.