Chicago Decides: Johnson projected to defeat Vallas

Max Bever, director of public information at the Chicago Board of Elections, Joins the stream to discuss Tuesday night's election results with CBS 2's Brad Edwards.

Explore this interactive map to view how each precinct voted for Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas in the April 4 Chicago mayoral runoff election.  

Stephen Maynard Caliendo, political science professor, joined CBS 2's Audrina Bigos and Ryan Baker for an inside look at the mayoral race results.

Johnson, a former teacher and longtime Chicago Teachers Union organizer, was leading Vallas by a margin of 51.4% to 48.6%, a difference of about 16,000 votes, with about 99.6% of precincts reporting. It's the closest mayoral race in Chicago since 1983, when Harold Washington beat Bernie Epton by less than 4 points.

"They said this would never happen. So, you know, if they didn't know, now they know," Johnson said at his victory rally Tuesday night. "To the Chicagoans who did not vote for me, here's what I want you to know; that I care about you, I value you, and I want to hear from you. 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."

"And when I say all the people, I mean all the people, especially folks who have ever been on a payment plan," Johnson added, in joking reference to the revelation last week that he had owed more than $3,000 in unpaid water bills and parking tickets to the city of Chicago. After first saying his unpaid bills had been placed on a payment plan, Johnson later announced he had paid those bills in full. He would not have been able to take the oath of office with unpaid debts to the city.

Watch his full victory speech below

With the Associated Press projecting Brandon Johnson to win the race for Chicago mayor, rival Paul Vallas told his supporters he has offered Johnson his "full support on his transition."

The Associated Press is projecting Johnson as the winner. With about 98.6% of precincts reporting, Johnson was leading Vallas by a margin of 51.5% to 48.5%, a difference of about 16,000 votes. 

Vallas told supporters at his election night rally that he expects Johnson will be declared the winner once all the votes are counted.

"I ran for mayor to bring the city together, and it's clear based on the results tonight that the city is deeply divided. So tonight, even though of course we believe every vote should be counted, I called Brandon Johnson and told him that I absolutely expect him to be the next mayor of Chicago," Vallas said. "This campaign that I ran to bring the city together would not be a campaign that fulfilled my ambitions if this election is going do divide us more. So it's critically important that we use this opportunity to come together, and I have offered him my full support on his transition."

Watch Vallas' full election night speech below:

With all precincts reporting, Ald. Gilbert Villegas had 58 percent of the vote compared with 42 percent for challenger Lori Torres Whitt in the 36th Ward.

Whitt conceded Tuesday night:

"I formally conceded to Alderman Villegas this evening. We did not get the result we hoped for and worked for tonight in the 36th Ward, but thanks to you, we've continued to build our movement and stood true to our values," Whitt said in a news release. "We are disappointed tonight, but we will keep working tomorrow. This isn't the end. I am grateful for the unwavering support of my family, friends, staff and coalition who showed up in full force for me, and to ensure we have Brandon Johnson as our next mayor. I am celebrating a win for our movement tonight."

Whitt's concession statement suggested no love lost between her and Villegas:

"Today, at the polls we saw escalations beyond what we've seen during any election cycle. Our volunteers had vehicular tampering, our poll watchers were intimidated by our opponents team, and were physically threatened. 

"This is beyond the normal dirty tricks. I believe in fighting for what you believe in, but I fight fair. Gil and his team play by the old school machine rules that push people out of public service with threats like this. The 36th Ward deserves an ethical and accountable member of City Council. I will never run a campaign that encourages this type of behavior. The people should be able to participate in democracy without fear and intimidation."

After winning reelection in the 45th Ward, Ald. James Gardiner spoke with CBS 2's Sabrina Franza – in the first time CBS 2 has spoken with him in multiple attempts.

"Very happy with the effort that our team put forward," Gardiner said. "I'm obviously very happy with the residents of our community and the support being shown to me, and I look forward to continue meeting the challenges that come when you're leading the community."

Franza asked Gardiner how he plans to incorporate voters who might have voted for Mathias, or others in the first round.

"I think a two-way street, like a lot of things. I think people have to want to be a part of a positive movement. We have always been very accepting in trying to reach out. We do a tremendous amount of outreach in our community, and it's a two-way street. But we're going to continue to be assertive and try to get people involved – and I think that's the number one thing, is that when people feel like they're involved. And I think that's the number-one thing, that when people feel like they're involved in the progress of the community, then they feel more content – and we'll do a better job," Gardiner said. "I mean, anything that you do in life, you learn. This first four years of me being an alderman, I've learned."

Brandon Johnson is projected to have defeated Paul Vallas in the runoff election for mayor.

The Associated Press is projecting Johnson as the winner. With about 98.6% of precincts reporting, Johnson was leading Vallas by a margin of 51.5% to 48.5%, a difference of about 16,000 votes. 

Vallas is expected to speak at his campaign headquarters shortly.

With Brandon Johnson pulling ahead in the mayoral race, CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov talked with one of Johnson's highest-profile supporters, Anjanette Young.

The CBS 2 Investigators broke Young's story of being the victim of a wrong raid by Chicago Police, which created waves across the city. Johnson has vowed to pass the Anjanette Young Ordinance that would reform the way police conduct search warrants.

"I absolutely believe that Brandon would be a mayor for everybody," Young said. "I've been on the campaign trail with Brandon since 10 o'clock this morning, and for every stop that he made, he was intentional to stop and speak to people, take selfies, have conversations with people about the things that were important to them – so Brandon absolutely is going to make sure that Chicago no longer is a tale of two cities, and he's going to bring us all together."

It appears all but certain the mayor's race will be too close to call tonight. With nearly 97% of precincts reporting, Johnson was leading Vallas 51.2% to 48.8%, a margin of nearly 13,000 votes.

The vote will almost certainly come down to mail-in ballots.

As of Monday night, according to the Chicago Board of Elections, there were 91,838 outstanding vote by mail ballots that had yet to arrive. For comparison, on the night before the Feb. 28 election, there were approximately 101,000 outstanding vote by mail ballots, and 52% of those ended up being returned in time to count.

So, if the runoff follows suit, we can expect roughly 45,000 to 48,000 mail ballots to come in over the next two weeks.

That means we might not even know by the end of this week who has won. It could stretch into next week, but that all depends on how quickly those votes come in. We could know by Friday, or it could be next Tuesday or even later.

Another note, in the first round, Johnson gained about 2.5 points on Vallas between Election Night and when the vote was completed two weeks later.

CBS 2's Chris Tye and Dana Kozlov are at Brandon Johnson's campaign headquarters as he pulls ahead in the mayoral runoff. They talked with Johnson's sister and with Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33rd).

Paul Vallas has fallen behind in the mayoral runoff race. CBS 2's Jim Williams and Marie Saavedra are at Vallas headquarters and talked with two of Vallas' highest-profile supporters – aldermen Tom Tunney and Brian Hopkins.

There are eight aldermanic races that appear to be over:

In the 4th Ward, Lamont Robinson appears to be the winner over Prentice Butler.

In the 6th Ward, William Hall appears to be the winner over Richard Wooten

In the 10th Ward, Peter Chico appears to be the winner over Ana Guajardo

In the 11th Ward, incumbent Ald. Nicole Lee appears to be the winner over Anthony Ciaravino

In the 24th Ward, incumbent Ald. Monique Scott appears to be the winner over Creative Scott (no relation)

In the 36th Ward, incumbent Ald. Gilbert Villegas appears to be the winner over Leonor "Lori" Torres Whitt

In the 45th Ward, incumbent Ald. James Gardiner appears to be the winner over Megan Mathias, who has conceded.

In the 46th Ward, Angela Clay appears to be the winner over Kim Walz

The other six aldermanic races look too close to call at this point, and it could take several days, if not two full weeks to know who won those races.

Challenger Megan Mathias has conceded to sitting Ald. Jim Gardiner in the Northwest Side's 45th Ward.

CBS 2's Sabrina Franza reported Mathias conceded Tuesday evening. She spoke to her supporters at her campaign headquarters at Dakota 94, 5304 W. Devon Ave.

Gardiner has been the subject of controversy, scrutiny, and accusations of intimidation and retribution in his term in office. He has been found guilty of violating the city's Ethics Code and is under federal investigation. But he won reelection without difficulty.

Community activist and Uptown native Angela Clay was expected to win the race City Council in the 46th Ward Tuesday night.

Clay is facing Kim Walz – a former aide to U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and now an executive for Walgreens. With 21 out of 23 precincts reporting, Clay had 55 percent of the vote compared with 45 percent for Walz.

The ward includes most of the Uptown community and also parts of Lakeview. Current Ald. James Cappleman announced back in July that he would not be running for another term.

Clay and Walz both spoke with CBS 2's Marie Saavedra. Clay said organizing and activism has been part of her life since a very young age – and she now wants to represent her community in the City Council.

Clay said public safety is a major issue for the ward – and solutions are needed, including ensuring the community has relationships with police officers, and investing in young people. She said focusing on mental health, education, and housing are also crucial components for her plan to improve public safety.

Housing is also a top priority in the ward, Clay said.

Walz emphasized that people no longer feel safe in the 46th Ward. She said it is to the point where people no longer feel safe walking to a grocery store at noon on a Saturday.

She charged that Clay supports defunding the police – as Walz's campaign has in attack ads showing a past soundbite in which Clay says, "Defunding the police is going to happen."

Ald. Nicole Lee, the first Chinese American woman on the Chicago City Council, appears to have won a full term in office, little more than a year after she was appointed to her seat.

With 91% of the vote counted, Lee was leading challenger, Chicago police officer Anthony Ciaravino, 62.5% to 47.5%, according to preliminary election results.

The 11th Ward became the city's first Asian American majority ward under new ward maps going into effect in May in a Southwest Side ward that has long been the home of the Daley family.  The ward includes the Chinatown, Bridgeport, Armour Square, and Canaryville neighborhoods.

Lee was appointed to her seat last March, after former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson was forced to resign when he was convicted of tax fraud charges.

While the demographics of the ward have changed significantly over the decades it has served as the base of the Daley family's political power, with a growing Asian population, the Daleys are nonetheless still trying to influence who represents the ward, with former Mayor Richard M. Daley endorsing Lee.

While Ciaravino's campaign said he was not available for an interview, CBS 2's Marie Saavedra spoke to Lee about the runoff leading up to Election Day.

Lee said she wants to maintain the progress she believes she has made over the past year fighting for public safety, better schools, and thriving small businesses.

"Making the community feel safe is my top priority. Every single door that I knock on [that] is everybody's biggest concern, and it's why I've been fighting for resources for the police," she said.

Ald. Monique Scott (24th) appears to have won election to a full term, nearly a year after Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed her to fill the vacant City Council seat left by her brother, Michael, last summer.

With 65% of the vote counted in the runoff election against challenger Creative Scott (no relation), Monique Scott held a comfortable lead of 67% to 33%.

Monique Scott was running for a full term representing the 24th Ward on the West Side after being appointed to replace her brother Michael, who left the City Council last summer to take a job with Cinespace Film Studio.

CBS 2's Marie Saavedra spoke to both candidates about the race leading up to Election Day.

Monique Scott said she doesn't feel there is any singular issue that is most important in the ward, which she said has not seen sufficient investments in the 51 years she's lived there.

"When you are in a community that has been disinvested in in 51 years, you have everything from 3,000 vacant lots that needs to be addressed, you have education disparity, you have health disparity, you have economic development. There are so many things, and you can't decouple one, because they all intertwine – and crime. So they all intertwine with one another," she said.

Creative Scott said he has dedicated his life to giving back to the community, and he wants to become aldermen to "bridge the gap" between police officers and young people and seniors who live in the ward.

"I also have a program that I created with the help of a few other individuals in the community. It's a gun safety program that I call GPS. That's guns, problems, and solutions," he said. "Right now, I have attorneys that will call me when youth have gun problems, and have been in and out of court. So I will get them a gun safety program."

Controversial incumbent Ald. James Gardiner is all but certain to win reelection for his runoff in the Northwest Side's 45th Ward.

Gardiner faced off against small business owner Megan Mathias. The ward includes Jefferson Park and Gladstone Park, and parts of Irving Park, Portage Park, Norwood Park, and Edgebrook.

Mathias told CBS 2's Marie Saavedra she has been working in the community for many years – as an attorney, a business owner, and a Local School Council member. But the way she saw the community come together when her husband fell ill with cancer was what made her decide to seek out a leadership role.

Mathias said the biggest issues for the ward are leadership and public safety. She said residents of the 45th Ward presently do not feel "heard." She did not mention Gardiner or anyone else by name in bringing up problems with leadership.

We reached out to incumbent Gardiner, who did not respond to our requests for an interview ahead of the election.

Gardiner has been the subject of controversy, scrutiny, and accusations of intimidation and retribution in his term in office. He has been found guilty of violating the city's Ethics Code and is under federal investigation.

All Vote By Mail received today through Drop Boxes and USPS will not be processed and counted until tomorrow (4/5/23). All VBM ballots received from tomorrow on will be processed and counted on a rolling daily basis.

TOTAL ELECTION TURNOUT SO FAR (Please Note: turnout totals and percentages will rise with new VBM ballots added daily)

530,382 total ballots cast

1,597,910 Registered Voters in Chicago

33.2% total citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 20,989 ballots cast – 3.96%

25-34: 87,506 ballots cast – 16.50%

35-44: 88,936 ballots cast – 16.77%

45-54: 84,796 ballots cast – 15.99%

55-64: 97,708 ballots cast – 18.42%

65-74: 89,845 ballots cast – 16.94%

75+: 60,689 ballots cast – 11.44%

Voter Turnout Per Each Hour:

6:00am: 7,236 ballots cast

7:00am: 12,822 ballots cast

8:00am: 16,902 ballots cast

9:00am: 17,554 ballots cast

10:00am: 18,898 ballots cast

11:00am: 21,027 ballots cast

12:00 Noon: 20,947 ballots cast

1:00pm: 17,607 ballots cast

2:00pm: 15,548 ballots cast

3:00pm: 19,676 ballots cast

4:00pm: 24,315 ballots cast

5:00pm: 28,951 ballots cast

6:00pm: 22,997 ballots cast

See below for the updated Chicago Voter Turnout as of 5:00pm on Election Day, 4/4/23:

476,358 total ballots cast

1,596,151 Registered Voters in Chicago

29.8% total citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 17,039 ballots cast – 3.58%

25-34: 73,177 ballots cast – 15.36%

35-44: 77,665 ballots cast – 16.30%

45-54: 74,721 ballots cast – 15.69%

55-64: 88,313 ballots cast – 18.54%

65-74: 85,242 ballots cast – 17.89%

75+: 58,890 ballots cast – 12.36%

Voter Turnout Per Hour:

6:00am: 7,236 ballots cast

7:00am: 12,822 ballots cast

8:00am: 16,902 ballots cast

9:00am: 17,554 ballots cast

10:00am: 18,898 ballots cast

11:00am: 21,027 ballots cast

12:00 Noon: 20,947 ballots cast

1:00pm: 17,607 ballots cast

2:00pm: 15,548 ballots cast

3:00pm: 19,676 ballots cast

4:00pm: 24,315 ballots cast

As of 4 p.m., the Chicago Board of Elections had fielded a total of 1,378 complaints or other issues regarding polling places.

The majority of issues we're seeing are related to equipment, judges and supplies. Here's the updated breakdown:

• Equipment Issue……..459
• Judge Issues……..214
• Supplies……..191
• Polling Place Issue……..115
• Electioneering & Pollwatchers……..74
• Voter Issues……..66
• Election Coordinator (EC) Issues……..62
• Ballot Issue……..45
• Voter Check In……..28
• Election Supply Carrier (ESC) ……..21
• Closing Procedures……..20
• Voter Registration……..16
• Polling Place Accessibility……..15
• Seal Accountability Form……..13
• Emergency Procedures……..12
• Find Polling Place……..10
• Election Procedures……..9
• Media Questions……..3
• Investigator Issue……..3
• COVID19……..1
• Vote Center/Early Voting……..1

The majority of issues occurred before noon and have started to taper down. (This data includes early voting complaints from yesterday, too)

• The polling places with the most complaints at the moment are:
• Bella Banquets (Ward 13, Precinct 15): 12 complaints, mostly election coordinator issues
• Corkery School (Ward 22, Precinct 1): 11 complaints, mostly equipment issues
• Oriole Park School (Ward 41, Precinct 8): 10 complaints, judge issues
• Lionel Hampton School (Ward 18, Precinct 17): 10 complaints, mostly about judges

The Austin neighborhood had the most election issues in the city, followed by West Town and Edgewater. 

Check CBS 2's Election Problem Tracker to find out what's going on at your polling location. We will continue to provide live updates. 

You can also check out the Chicago Election Tracker here: 

They weren't there at the same time, but mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson both stopped at the iconic Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen at 1141 S. Jefferson St.

Vallas appeared at the famous deli with former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) was among those in attendance with Brandon Johnson.

It is a time-honored tradition for political candidates to visit Manny's on or close to Election Day. Barack Obama went to Manny's with his aide, Valerie Jarrett, right after he was elected president in 2008 and ordered a number of corned beef sandwiches for his staff.

CBS 2's Jim Williams' order at Manny's is lean corned beef with a potato pancake and the cole slaw.

The race for mayor of Chicago is in the home stretch. Polls close at 7 p.m., and the vote counting will begin. We have team coverage taking a closer look at how candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson got where they are today.

After months of stump speeches, campaign ads, and shaking hands with voters, the candidates for Chicago mayor are approaching the finish line, as voters will finally decide whether Paul Vallas or Brandon Johnson will be the city's 57th mayor.

With pre-election polls showing the race could be the closest mayoral election since Harold Washington beat Bernie Epton by less than 4 points in 1983, it's not out of the question that voters might have to wait a few days to know who won.

As of Tuesday morning, more than 91,000 vote by mail ballots had yet to be returned to the Chicago Board of Elections. While not all of those ballots will make it by the April 18 deadline to be counted – if they are postmarked by Election Day – they could make a big difference in the results. About 52% of vote by mail ballots that had yet to arrive by Election Day for the first round in February ultimately were returned on time to be counted, and helped Johnson gain about 2.5 points on Vallas in the final count in the first round.

Tuesday's stormy weather didn't stop turnout in the runoff election from outpacing the first round so far, with total turnout as of 3 p.m. at 26.8% citywide, compared to a turnout rate of 24/7% citywide at the same time on Feb. 28.

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CHICAGO (CBS) -- As voters head to the polls to determine who will lead the city for the next four years, with just two candidates on the ballot this time, turnout will be critical. 

CBS 2's Ryan Baker spoke with Jaime Dominguez, one of the researchers and an associate professor of instruction in the department of political science.   

See below for the updated Chicago Voter Turnout as of 3:00pm on Election Day, 4/4/23:

426,773 total ballots cast

1,595,066 Registered Voters in Chicago

26.8% total citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 14,070 ballots cast – 3.30%

25-34: 63,108 ballots cast – 14.79%

35-44: 68,567 ballots cast – 16.07%

45-54: 65,951 ballots cast – 15.45%

55-64: 79,031 ballots cast – 18.52%

65-74: 79,317 ballots cast – 18.59%

75+: 55,959 ballots cast – 13.11%

Voter Turnout Per Hour:

6:00am: 7,236 ballots cast

7:00am: 12,822 ballots cast

8:00am: 16,902 ballots cast

9:00am: 17,554 ballots cast

10:00am: 18,898 ballots cast

11:00am: 21,027 ballots cast

12:00 Noon: 20,947 ballots cast

1:00pm: 17,607 ballots cast

2:00pm: 15,548 ballots cast

From equipment issues to ballot problems, issues are popping throughout the city as Election Day voting continues. 

There have been 1,090 complaints made to the Board of Elections from Monday through noon Tuesday. So far, equipment issues have been the most reported with 386 reports. There have been 165 supply issues reported.

There have been 177 judge issues reported so far.  There was one report of an intoxicated judge in Ward 6, precinct 13. A voter complained and said the judge left and did not return. An investigator went out, but reported back the judge did not seem drunk nor did they smell alcohol.

The polling places with the most complaints as of noon:

• Corkery School (Ward 22, Precinct 1): 11 complaints, mostly equipment issues
• Bella Banquets (Ward 13, Precinct 15): 10 complaints, mostly election coordinator issues
• Lionel Hampton School (Ward 18, Precinct 17): 10 complaints, mostly about judges

Check CBS 2's Election Problem Tracker to find out what's going on at your polling location. We will continue to provide live updates. 

You can also check out the Chicago Election Tracker here: 

See below for the updated Chicago Voter Turnout as of 12:00 Noon on Election Day, 4/4/23:

364,548 total ballots cast

1,592,894 Registered Voters in Chicago

22.9% total citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 10,796 ballots cast – 2.96%

25-34: 51,746 ballots cast – 14.19%

35-44: 58,410 ballots cast – 16.02%

45-54: 56,421 ballots cast – 15.48%

55-64: 67,657 ballots cast – 18.56%

65-74: 68,948 ballots cast – 18.91%

75+: 49,269 ballots cast – 13.52%

Voter Turnout Per Hour:

6:00am: 7,236 ballots cast

7:00am: 12,822 ballots cast

8:00am: 16,902 ballots cast

9:00am: 17,554 ballots cast

10:00am: 18,898 ballots cast

11:00am: 21,027 ballots cast

CBS 2's Jackie Kostek is following Chicago's mayoral race, with Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas busy courting undecided voters.

As of 9 a.m., there have been 304,090 total ballots cast. This represents 19.1% of Chicago votes, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. 

Voters ages 55 to 74 have been the highest voter turnout so far. 

CBS 2 will provide updates. 

 Find your polling place for Election Day on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners website.

Mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson has arrived at his polling location at the Lorraine Hansberry Apartments in Austin.  CBS 2's Jackie Kostek is reporting live.

The polls are open in Chicago. 

Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas will cast their own ballots later this morning.

 Find your polling place for Election Day on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners website.

Not sure where to go to vote? Find your polling place for Election Day on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners website.

CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov examined where both candidates for mayor stand on four key issues: public safety, revitalizing downtown, reversing the city's population loss, and how they plan to pay for their policy plans.  

You can read her stories on those four issues from the mayor's race by clicking here.

Leading up to the April 4 runoff elections in Chicago, we are speaking with the aldermanic candidates on the ballot.

There are 14 races for City Council that are headed to runoffs, and CBS News Chicago reached out to all of the candidates for interviews as voters prepare to cast their ballots.

The 29th Ward, where incumbent Ald. Chris Taliaferro, a former police officer who chairs the City Council Committee on Public Safety,  is facing off against businessman and community activist CB Johnson, CEO of the nonprofit Drug Free Westside, neither candidate agreed to an interview with CBS News Chicago.

We were able to hold interviews with all but two candidates in the other 13 wards with runoff elections. You can see all of those interviews by clicking here.

One week before Election Day, Johnson and Vallas faced off in their final televised debate on CBS 2. You can watch the full debate below: