| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | | | Happy Thursday, Illinois. Just 153 days until nominating petitions are due for 2024, folks. h/t John Amdor
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters on Election Night on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. | AP Photo/Paul Beaty | Voters want nuance on crime issues: When President Joe Biden jumps into the presidential race, he’ll have a template for how Democrats can win thanks in part to Brandon Johnson’s victory in Chicago on Tuesday. The idea that Democrats are soft on crime because they want to reform public safety isn't working, and Johnson’s victory along with Tuesday’s progressive win in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race are proof, according to our story by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago and your Playbook host. Johnson and his opponent, Paul Vallas, are Democrats but they sat at opposite ends of the party and Vallas used the pro-police talking points that conservative often use. What Chicago and Wisconsin reveal: “Voters showed that they understand public safety to be much more nuanced than the way the Republicans try to frame it. That this is not just about having adequate law enforcement on the streets to promote public safety, but also about investing in mental health and substance use treatment and addressing poverty,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in an interview. “There are not just the short-term efforts to address crime, but also the long-term efforts.” — JB CALLING: The governor called Johnson as he left the stage on Election Night. “I congratulated him. He had just come off the stage. He was with his family, and I think eating a slice of pizza, and I didn’t want to keep him long. I’m thrilled and excited to get to work together to lift up the city of Chicago,” Pritzker told Playbook. — How Johnson spent his first day as Chicago mayor-elect: It started with a traditional visit with CTA commuters, by Tribune’s Alice Yin and Gregory Pratt — He sat down for a one-on-one, via NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern — How the count is going: The Chicago Board of Elections is still counting ballots in Chicago. According to the latest results, 560,123 ballots have been cast in Chicago. In the mayor’s race, Johnson is at 51.44 percent of the vote with 287,557 votes cast to Vallas’ 48.56, or 271,443 ballots. — A Washington opinion | As ominous clouds gather over Chicago, progressivism marches on: “When a deeply troubled city chooses to double down on all the policies that aren’t working, it’s like watching sailors on a sinking ship bailing water in instead of out. Welcome to Chicago,” by Jim Geraghty in The Washington Post. — How Johnson won: He ran a smart political campaign that united Blacks and lakefront liberals — and he did a better job pivoting from his “defund” the police comments than Vallas did explaining away his comments about being Republican, reports Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. Some takeaways … Hispanic turnout down: “The impact of Vallas’ showing in the nine Latino wards he won was greatly diminished by the anemic Hispanic turnout,” writes Spielman. Republican messaging: Johnson eked out a win in the North Side 44th Ward — surprising because Tom Tunney, the outgoing alderman, went all out for Vallas. Johnson won 50.4 percent of the vote to Vallas’ 49.6 percent. “That ward going 50-50 tells me that the Republican attacks worked,” said veteran Democratic strategist Tom Bowen, who ran Lightfoot’s 2019 and 2023 runoff campaigns. Stumbling over their words: “Brandon did a better job of running away from defund [the police] position than Vallas did of running away from being a Republican. That was the decisive thing,” said veteran Democratic strategist Peter Giangreco, who advised Ald. Sophia King in her unsuccessful bid for mayor in the first round of the race. Unions propped him up: “They saw in him some innate talent. And that talent was apparent. He wasn’t always the most sure-footed on some issues. But, he communicates. There’s a sort of positiveness about the guy. There’s a sense of hope about the guy. That is appealing. That matters,” political strategist David Axelrod said. OOPS: We misattributed a quote in Wednesday’s Playbook. It was Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, not Brandon Johnson, who said on Election Night: "Tonight, Chicago chose hope over fear. I ain’t never seen a city silence a dog whistle."
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | THE BUZZ | | LIGHTFOOT’s VINDICATION: Since losing her reelection bid in February, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been attending ground-breaking ceremonies and ribbon-cuttings, speaking briefly to high-profile crowds and holding press conferences now and again. It’s been awkward: Business folks who stand by her at these events have avoided her gaze. They didn’t endorse her for mayor but have been too scared to talk to her about it. Instead, they backed Vallas, the moderate Democrat who hammered hard on crime, propelling him to the runoff along with Johnson, a progressive. Now Lightfoot is “feeling vindicated,” according to a person in the mayor’s office. Since Tuesday’s election, those same executives who thought she was the problem with the city’s economic future now see that she might actually have been “the firewall between the extremes.” On Tuesday, it felt like a night at Gibsons Steakhouse in Vallas’ hotel suite, according to a person in the room. All around were business people ready to toast Vallas’ win. Then reality set in like closing time at the bar. They realized Vallas couldn’t crack the necessary 50 percent to become mayor. It’s what Lightfoot’s campaign had predicted. Johnson, who pushed for $800 million in new taxes on “the ultra rich,” would be mayor. Now Lightfoot is taking their calls, asking “What do we do now?” It’s bittersweet vindication. Lightfoot's message: The “sideline critics” should pipe down and step up “for the betterment of the city.” Lightfoot answers a press question: The mayor has attended press events but hasn’t answered press corps questions since the Feb. 28 election — until Wednesday. Asked what advice she’d give Johnson when it comes to handling the death of a first-responder, she said, “Be humble. Be grateful. Our first responders literally give their lives. There’s a lot of rhetoric that’s out there about first responders, particularly on the police side. When you’ve seen what I’ve seen, when you have to make the calls that I’ve had to make, you better be humble — and you better be grateful.” If you are Tom Tunney, Playbook would like to know what’s next. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 10 a.m. to highlight higher education investments. — At St. Louis Downtown Airport at 1 p.m. to highlight improvements there.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | In City hall at 1:30 p.m. meeting with Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson.
| | Where's Toni | | No official public events. Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: skapos@politico.com
| | 2023 MUNICIPAL RACES | | — New mayors in Naperville, Rolling Meadows, Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights, Campton Hills and Oak Brook: Here's a look at those first-time mayors and village presidents, via Daily Herald — Six Chicago ward races still up in the air as younger, more diverse City Council takes shape: “Candidates declared victory in at least three of those tight contests, but no one was conceding defeat with thousands of outstanding mail ballots,” by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — CORRUPTION CHRONICLES: Jurors see Madigan ally’s ‘magic list’ that FBI agents seized on day of 2019 raids, by Capitol News’ Hannah Meisel — Fulton County suffers damage from funnel clouds, storms, via Peoria Journal Star’s Andy Kravetz and Chris Sims
| | CHICAGO | | — CFD lieutenant dies battling high-rise blaze on Lake Shore Drive, 2nd firefighter to die in line of duty this week: “Lt. Jan Tchoryk was taken to the hospital in “very critical” condition and later died. On Tuesday, firefighter Jermaine Pelt died battling a house fire on the South Side,” via Sun-Times. — Johnson is Chicago’s next mayor. So what’s next for CPS? Sun-Times’ Nader Issa reports. — Chicago’s transit chief says crime is hurting the ridership rebound: “Crime jumped 62 percent when compared to pre-Covid levels in 2019, and the transit agency faces deficit of about $400 million a year,” by Bloomberg’s Skylar Woodhouse. — Land of music: Navy Pier will feature State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois, an exhibit showcasing “the achievements and contributions of The Land of Lincoln’s music greats.” Muddy Waters, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Earth Wind and Fire, and Chance the Rapper will be showcased through personal items, photos and interviews in a podcast area. The free exhibit will be housed in Navy Pier’s Festival Hall April 27 through Aug. 27.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what piece of advice you’d give to a new mayor. Jessica Catlin: “Work in partnership with the community mental health providers who are already doing outstanding work to scale their impact instead of re-creating the wheel.” Robert Emmons Jr.: “Follow in God’s footsteps to provide healthcare to the sick, house the unhoused, help the oppressed overcome and, most importantly, love.” Jim LaCognata: “You’re there to serve the people, not the other way around.” Andy Shaw: “Mount a new ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ or ‘My Kinda Town’ campaign to attract businesses, conventioneers and tourists.” What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken? Email skapos@politico.com
| | DELEGATION | | — Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider and former Republican Sen Mark Kirk tout bipartisanship: "Once a month, I'm hosting a dinner with three Republicans and three Democrats," Schneider said. "No politics. Politics are not allowed. We're just going to have a conversation. So you build those relationships." Daily Herald’s Steve Zalusky reports.
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Fear of economic ‘lost decade’ hangs over world leaders in Washington, by POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt — Trump makes play for DeSantis donors, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running for president in 2024, by POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity — 'We can win': Whitmer repeals Michigan's 1931 abortion ban, via POLITICO
| | TRIVIA | | WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Former Republican state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, who served 21 years, also played on the 1961 Saint Louis University Billikens basketball team that lost to Providence, 59 to 62, in the NIT tournament. He played for SLU for 3 years and was also on their baseball team. TODAY’s QUESTION: What Springfield family had three generations of MLB players? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former state Rep. JoAnn Osmond, former state Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr., Northfield Township Democratic Committeeperson Tracy Katz Muhl and civil rights attorney Jeanette Samuels. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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