CHICAGO — Just months ago, few Chicagoans would have expected Paul Vallas or Brandon Johnson to best incumbent Lori Lightfoot and survive to the mayoral runoff election.
But before voters decide which of the two upstarts will claim City Hall, each candidate faces a steep challenge courting the roughly 45% of the electorate who preferred someone else in Tuesday’s first round of balloting.
To become Chicago’s top elected official in the April 4 runoff, Vallas and Johnson will need to expand their bases, raise money to spread their messages and reckon with not-so-distant comments on policing and education that might alienate moderates.
