Chicago mayoral race heats up with endorsements and clashes over policing.
Chicago mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson clashed over public safety and policing in a televised debate ahead of the April 4 runoff. Vallas accused Johnson of backing the "defund the police" movement, while Johnson charged that Vallas' plans to ramp up hiring of police officers would be slow and unrealistic. The race has focused largely on crime, with violence in the city spiking in 2020 and 2021. The two candidates also butted heads over school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic and the role schools play in combating crime.