At first debate of Chicago mayoral runoff, Johnson attacks Vallas’ record as rival tries to stay above the fray

CHICAGO — The first debate of Chicago’s mayoral runoff election featured a series of attacks from Brandon Johnson on Paul Vallas, who largely avoided attacking in kind, even as the criticism escalated.

Over the course of an hour, Johnson repeatedly accused Vallas of wanting to raise property taxes, enacting policies in the 1990s that cause lasting harm to the city and school district’s financial position, and working with Republicans to damage the pension system. Johnson also said Vallas doesn’t want to teach Black history and claimed he does not support women’s abortion rights.

“We’re in this predicament because of the bad accounting measures of Mr. Vallas,” Johnson said, referring to the city’s financial woes.

During the debate, Johnson also attempted to tamp down concerns that he is too close with the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, which endorsed and has funded him, but he declined to name an issue on which he disagreed with the organization.

“I have a fiduciary responsibility to the people of the city of Chicago, and once I’m mayor