Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson discussed youth voter turnout, the role of religion in governance, and a range of pressing city issues at International House on January 9. The event was moderated by Institute of Politics (IOP) Director Heidi Heitkamp and organized jointly by the IOP, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, International House, and UChicago Global.
An audience member asked Johnson to comment on his response to a recent shooting targeting a Jewish community member, which Johnson has received blowback over for not addressing the victim’s religious identity. Johnson said he was committed to reducing antisemitism. “There is tremendous alignment of my faith as a Christian with the Jewish community. I’m very much aligned through my faith and condemning the attack was something that was important,” Johnson said.
He defended his actions, saying there was a need for a complete investigation into the shooting while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to condemning antisemitism and fostering unity. “As far as repairing and working with the Jewish community, I am open and available, and I’ve extended myself to multiple leaders in the Jewish community,” Johnson said. “They have not taken me up on that offer, quite frankly.”
Johnson reflected on how his Christian faith has shaped his policies. “We are a gift to one another,” he said. “The greatest gift that we can show is making sure that our treasure and our heart are aligned, as the words of Jesus the Christ, ‘where your treasure is there your heart will be also’… so we should invest in the things we care about. That’s why I focused my energy investing in young people and youth development,” he continued, adding that he has backed initiatives like expanding youth programs, reopening mental health clinics, and increasing affordable housing options.
Discussing the firing of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez and the transition to a 21-member elected school board, the mayor said he was committed to expanding democracy in Chicago’s public school system. Johnson argued against privatization and school choice, saying the systems would create inequities.
“Democracy is being curtailed, but in Chicago, we’ve expanded it,” Johnson said. “I am proud to be the first mayor in the history of the city of Chicago to support a fully elected representative school board, and I’m glad that will happen under my leadership, where other administrations have shown a great deal of animus towards democracy.”
Another major focus of the discussion was education funding. Johnson criticized per-pupil funding models, calling them “outdated”. He instead advocated for Evidence-Based Funding, a formula that calculates each neighborhood’s amount of resources and cost of education to determine which schools are most in need of financial support. He emphasized his push for $1.1 billion in state funding for CPS.
Responding to questions about his low approval ratings—25 percent favorable and 60 percent unfavorable, according to NBC 5 Chicago—Johnson said that he was “not moved by the polls” as they were only “a snapshot at a point of time.” He claimed that he was “elected to build a better, stronger, safer, Chicago. I will stop at nothing to ensure that happens.” He also cited his administration’s accomplishments, including paid time off for workers and the abolition of subminimum wages, as evidence of progress.
Johnson also argued that the youth vote plays a critical role in driving transformative change, both in Chicago and nationally. He credited young voters, particularly those aged 18 to 34, for his narrow victory in the 2023 mayoral election.
“The youth vote is the nexus between status quo and transformation,” Johnson said. “The youth vote in Chicago and America in general could revolutionize how we do government.”
Johnson pointed to policies he implemented that directly address youth priorities: renewable energy initiatives, the establishment of the Department of the Environment, and expanded mental health services through the CARE program. “It’s not so much what I’m doing specifically to go out and tell young people they should vote for me. It’s about me responding to what they voted for.”