On March 26, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) endorsed Paul Vallas in the April 4, 2023, runoff for mayor of Chicago. The state’s other senator, Tammy Duckworth (D), endorsed Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the first round and has not endorsed in the runoff. Vallas and Brandon Johnson are running in the runoff election.
Eleven members of Congress have endorsed Johnson so far, including U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Four members of the Illinois House delegation endorsed Johnson: Jonathan Jackson (District 1), Delia Ramirez (District 3), Danny Davis (District 7), and Jan Schakowsky (District 9).
Although elections are officially nonpartisan, candidates are typically affiliated with one of the major political parties. Johnson and Vallas are both Democrats. The last Republican mayor of Chicago, William Thompson, left office in 1931.