Daywatch special edition: Campaigns enter the final stretch

Chicago Tribune staff, Chicago Tribune
Updated ·3 min read
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Hello, Chicago.

I’ve been at the Chicago Tribune for 10 years now and I’ve covered a little bit of everything in that time, from annual charity drives to mass shootings to the daily car wreck that is city politics.

This is my second mayoral race and the first being lead City Hall reporter. People ask me every day: Who’s going to win? Paul Vallas or Brandon Johnson.

I can’t answer that. I don’t know.

Early turnout so far is favoring wards Vallas took in the early round of voting. To win, Vallas will need enough support from moderate Latino, white and Black voters to supplement his conservative white base. Johnson needs to win Black voters who supported Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the Feb. 28 election, do well with moderates and clean up among his progressive base.

But we won’t know who’s done what until election night. What we do know is that the Tribune will keep you covered in the next week, reporting from the final candidate debates, campaign trail and doing critical background work on the issues and candidates to keep you informed. Keep reading. You’re valued. Even the folks who spend their time yelling at me on Twitter.

— Gregory Pratt

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