Key wins include Fritz Kaegi’s defeat of Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, who also serves as chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party; Aaron Ortiz’s defeat of state Rep. Dan Burke (D); Ram Villivilam’s defeat of state Sen. Ira Silverstein (D); and Brandon Johnson’s narrow defeat of Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin. In the case of the Cook County assessor’s race, there was also the factor of seemingly brazen corruption in Chicago. Chicago’s progressive movement has been growing steadily in recent years, beginning with a successful strike launched by the left-leaning Chicago Teachers Union in 2012. Stacy Davis Gates, Chicago Teachers UnionChuy García came up short in his attempt to unseat Emanuel in 2015. Johnson, a Chicago Teachers Union member and organizer on the West Side, is now one of the Chicago area’s most progressive black elected officials.

Source: Huffington Post March 22, 2018 01:18 UTC