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Stacy Davis Gates, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, was very clear about two things when she addressed community activists and civic leaders in downtown Chicago last week: she is not running for mayor, but her union will challenge the incumbent in the 2023 municipal election.
During her speech on August 22, Davis Gates reminded the audience that the city needs a new mayor.
Davis Gates put an end to months of rumors that she could challenge Lori Lightfoot for mayor. Brandon Johnson, who joined her at a news conference after the speech, helped fuel the rumor that another union employee would take her place.
Cook County Commissioner and CTU organizer Johnson told WBEZ on Monday that while he hasn’t made up his mind to run, petitions are being distributed in his support.
It is humbling that there are so many people wanting me to do this said Johnson, a West Side resident and former Chicago public school teacher, she also said It requires acknowledging a moment and allowing oneself to be deeply humbled by it.
It’s unknown if Johnson has the resources or reputation to energize voters. Does the city’s most influential union have the influence and strength to put one of its own in City Hall, though, given the possibility of a CTU-backed candidate?
Some people reject the idea. When the union supported Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle against Lori Lightfoot, who triumphed in a landslide, it failed. However, contenders are lined up for the CTU’s support, and the union has shown in prior political contests that its resources—including its army of members and political clout—carry significant weight.
During the 2019 teachers strike and under previous president Karen Lewis, who was considering running for mayor when she was given the news that she had brain cancer in 2015, the Chicago Teachers Union was perhaps at its political height. Lewis passed away last year after being compelled to resign.
The pandemic has left the union somewhat wounded as it had to deal with opposing factions that couldn’t agree on how to get employees and kids back to the classroom in a secure manner.
According to Peter Cunningham, the former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan didn’t perceive the CTU as a threat when he pondered running for mayor earlier this year.
He referred to U.S. Representative Jess G. “Chuy” Garcia, who campaigned against Rahm Emanuel for mayor in 2015 after being hired by the CTU, by saying, they made Chuy competitive. They didn’t appear to be at all helpful to Toni. They have a deplorable history.
Cunningham is backing Lightfoot in this wager. Aside from billionaire Willie Wilson, who is mostly funding his own campaign with $5 million, incumbent Lightfoot had more cash on hand than $2.5 million at the end of June. In addition, many predict that voter turnout will be low in the elections in February, which often favors the incumbent.
But possibly more significantly, the CTU’s support indicates that a candidate upholds the ideals of the liberal left. With other unions and community organizations, many of which receive funding from the CTU Foundation, an endorsement has significant influence.
For instance, the American Federation of Teachers paid Garcia more than $1 million in 2015, following the CTU’s example. The parent union of the CTU is the AFT.
However, in Chicago, the progressive vote counts. Additionally, there is competition among the city’s progressive candidates for the union’s support, which many are determined to secure.
Ald. Roderick Sawyer declared his candidacy in June and claimed to have participated in several battles for CTU from the front lines.
It is debatable whether the 28,000 CTU members can lift a candidate to the fifth floor, regardless of who the union endorses.
In a May election, Davis Gates’ caucus, CORE, received barely 56% of the vote. Since being originally elected in 2010, it was CORE’s first significant obstacle.
On the campaign trail, it appears Lightfoot will try to capitalize on this gap. A campaign spokesperson responded to inquiries regarding the CTU and Johnson by focusing on Lightfoot’s position during the outbreak.
The statement said “Through focused leadership, Mayor Lightfoot fought to keep schools open safely and made sure every Chicago kid had access to the high-quality education and services they need and deserve — especially amid the public health crisis,” the statement read.
In the end, Cobb asserted, he doesn’t think people can discount their significance. Furthermore, he believes it is important that Stacy has decided she is not going to run. I believe it is significant that she recognizes that this is about policy and not ego. Keep that in mind Karen Lewis was not always herself. She grew in strength. And Cobb believes Stacy possesses the same capacity.
Written by Dylan Santoyo
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
WBEZ: Can the Chicago Teachers Union take the mayor’s office?
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates says she won’t run for mayor in 2023 but ‘everybody’ knows the city needs a new one
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Scott’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Josh Kalov Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
