Mayoral candidates talk public safety at online forum

CHICAGO — Four candidates running for Chicago Mayor in the Feb. 28 election made their pitches to prospective voters at an online mayoral forum Wednesday.

Ja’Mal Green, Brandon Johnson, Sophia King and Kam Buckner took turns discussing a variety of issues affecting the City of Chicago — most specifically, public safety.

“My wife and I recently changed a window in our children’s bedroom from one of the bullets that had come from our home,” Johnson said. “This is not something that is on the news, this is something that we live with everyday.”

Mayor Lightfoot was not included in the forum, but several responses by the candidates were about the current administration’s tactics, specifically how Lightfoot needs to be a collaborator, and not an adversary.

“The mayor has treated the city council like they are their employees,” Buckner said. “I think that is the wrong way to gain traction with the legislative body of 50 people.”

Of the nine candidates running in the election, five were invited to the forum Wednesday, including Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, who did not speak during the event.

Paul Vallas, Willie Wilson and Roderick Sawyer were the remaining three candidates without an invite to speak at the event.

The next chance for Chicagoans to hear pitches from candidates running for Chicago Mayor will be on Jan. 14 at either the 2023 Chicago Mayoral Forum hosted by the Libertarian Party of Chicago, or the Chicago Women’s Mayoral Forum.