United States House of Representatives member Jim Clyburn is the highest ranking Black Democratic member of Congress, and last Thursday he endorsed Brandon Johnson in Chicago’s runoff mayoral race.
“I am proudly supporting Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago. Commissioner Johnson is a man of family, faith and public service, and I know those core values will guide his leadership as Mayor,” said Rep. Clyburn in a statement.
Clyburn also noted their similar backgrounds, drawing parallels with them both being ministers’ sons and former schoolteachers.
“Commissioner Johnson and I share many characteristics: our spirit of activism, our professional beginnings as public school teachers, our commitment to justice, and we are both PKs (Preacher Kids)…Commissioner Johnson will be a Mayor who does everything in his power to make Chicago safe for all, and I am proud to support him,” continued Clyburn.
When Clyburn endorsed then-candidate Biden a mere days ahead of the South Carolina primary, it was akin to a chain reaction “that resulted in the former vice-president trouncing his rivals in the Super Tuesday primary contests on Tuesday night,” that eventually resulted in Biden’s successful bid to the White House.
Will history repeat itself, and just how important are endorsements in an election? Stephen Caliendo, professor at North Central College, said “[e]ndorsements are about helping people who aren’t paying close attention to the race have a signal about who would be the best person to support if they were paying close attention.”
As political strategist Isaac Wright stated, “You cannot overstate the impact of Clyburn on…politics.”
But Clyburn isn’t the only national figure who’s weighed in on this race. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have also endorsed Johnson’s campaign, and last Friday, activist Jesse Jackson and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García announced that they were backing Johnson.
In a news release, Rev. Jackson said, “For more than a decade, I have watched Brandon grow as a father, an organizer, an elected official and a leader in communities across our city…And I have proudly watched him embrace and embody the fight for justice, and show courage in the face of injustice against the people of Chicago.”
Along with numerous aldermen, “U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Jonathan Jackson, and Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois), Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul have all announced their support of Johnson.”
Johnson, the current Cook County Commissioner, will face Paul Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools CEO, in the runoff race for mayor of the Windy City on April 4, which “is a significant date, marking the fifty-third anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.”