It seems to me, albeit from afar, that to suggest the mayoral results in Chicago were simply a victory for the left and progressives undercuts the role, reach, and power of the expansive, diverse, and politically heterogeneous coalition that elected Brandon Johnson, the city’s new mayor. The role of the progressive movement was of great import for sure, but acknowledging that fact shouldn’t remove from view what was decisive, what brought Johnson over the finish line a winner in a fiercely contested race — a far larger and diverse assemblage of people and organizations as well as the candidate himself who gave voice to the sentiments and aspirations of the people of the Windy City.
Or, to paraphrase Marx, it was a coalition of the majority in the interests of the immense majority that left its stamp on the Chicago elections.I would only add that acknowledging this political dynamic is not only of significance to understanding the election’s outcome, but also in order to fully grasp the dialectics and requirements of governing going forward.