>>> AS YOU NO DOUBT KNOW BY NOW, COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER BRANDON JOHNSON WILL BE CHICAGO'S NEXT MAYOR.

JOHNSON DEFEATED PAUL VALLAS AFTER A BRUISING RUNOFF CAMPAIGN , IN THE PROCESS BECOMING THE SECOND BLACK MAN ELECTED TO LEAD THE NATION'S THIRD-LARGEST CITY.

HERE NOW TO BREAK IT DOWN IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM, AMANDA, KIRA , AND SITTING IN WITH THE BAND TONIGHT, NICK BLUMBERG.

LET'S HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF BRANDON JOHNSON'S VICTORY SPEECH LAST NIGHT.

>> WE HAVE USHERED IN A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY.

WE WILL NOT ALLOW THE POLITICS OF OLD TO TURN US AROUND .

WE ARE BUILDING A BETTER, STRONGER, SAFER CHICAGO .

WE CAN REJECT THE FALSE CHOICES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US FOR TOO LONG.

WE DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BLACK , BROWN, WHITE, YOUNG, OLD, POOR, RICH .

WE GET TO DO IT FOR EVERYONE, CHICAGO.

>> HEATHER, YOU SAT DOWN WITH MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON JUST HOURS AFTER HE DECLARED VICTORY.

YOU ASKED HIM HOW HE WOULD WITHSTAND THIS ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS ON WHETHER HE WOULD DEFUND THE POLICE.

WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?

>> WELL, HE SAID THAT HE REALLY FEELS CHICAGO UNITED AROUND HIS PLATFORM CALLING FOR A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

POLICE OFFICERS FOR TOO LONG HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO TOO MUCH.

THE ENTIRE CITY IS SUFFERING.

WHETHER THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE HE IS, I THINK EMMA IS AN OPEN QUESTION.

HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT REALLY HIS FIRST CHORE AS MAYOR OF CHICAGO IS TO BRING EVERYBODY INTO THAT AND TO SORT OF LET EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR SAY IN CREATING THAT NEW APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS REALLY JUST 180 DEGREE TURN FROM LORI LIGHTFOOT AND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT ISSUE .

>> NICK, YOU ARE AT JOHNSON'S HAD CREAM HEADQUARTERS.

GIVE US A SENSE OF THE ROOM AND MOOD AND HOW IT CHANGED AS THE NUMBERS STARTED COMING IN IN HIS FAVOR.

>> FOLKS DO NOT GO INTO THE NIGHT ASSUMING IT WOULD BE A VICTORY PARTY.

CERTAINLY THERE WAS A LOT OF HOPE THERE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPRESSED CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM THAT THE NIGHT WOULD GO THE WAY OF THEIR CANDIDATE, BUT IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE.

THE VERY FIRST ROUND OF RESULTS HAD PAUL VALLAS WITH A SMALL LEAD, BUT AS BRANDON JOHNSON OVERTOOK HIM AND AS THAT MARGIN OF EVENTUAL VICTORY GREW AND GREW, FOLKS GOT A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE.

PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THEIR PHONES CLOSELY.

THEY WERE WATCHING THE TVs VERY CLOSELY.

AS NEWGROUNDS CAME IN, THERE WERE ROUNDS OF TEARS.

THERE WAS THE PERCOLATOR.

THERE WAS THE CHA-CHA SLIDE.

IT IS NOT A CHICAGO PARTY OTHERWISE.

YOU COULD FEEL THE FLOOR UNDULATING DOING SOME OF THAT.

PEOPLE REALLY HAD A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM.

THERE WAS A LOT OF GOODWILL IN THAT ROOM AS THE NIGHT WENT ON.

IT WAS TRULY A PARTY.

IT WAS A LOUD ROOM IN THERE.

>> PAUL VALLAS QUICKLY REALIZING THE WAY THE EVENING WAS GOING.

HE CALLED JOHNSON TO CONCEDE THE RACE.

HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF VALLAS' CONCESSION SPEECH.

>> I RAN FOR MAYOR TO BRING THE CITY TOGETHER.

IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CITY IS DEEPLY DIVIDED.

SO TONIGHT, EVEN THOUGH OF COURSE WE BELIEVE EVERY VOTE SHOULD BE COUNTED, I CALLED BRANDON JOHNSON AND TOLD HIM I ABSOLUTELY EXPECT HIM TO BE THE NEXT MAYOR OF CHICAGO.

AND PLEASE , PLEASE, PLEASE -- I MEAN, THIS CAMPAIGN THAT I RAN TO BRING THE CITY TOGETHER WOULD NOT BE A CAMPAIGN THAT FULFILLED MY AMBITIONS IF THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO DIVIDE US MORE.

>> SO NO CHA-CHA SLIDE AT THAT ONE.

YOU WERE AT THE VALLAS PARTY.

>> DEFINITELY NO DANCING.

EVEN WHEN THE RESULTS WERE COMING IN HIS FAVOR.

THEY WERE SHOWING PHOTOS FROM THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

SOME OF THE SPONSORS OF THE PARTY.

SO YOU DID NOT HAVE A HUGE TVs WITH RESULTS.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CROWD REALLY REACTING TO IT.

IT WAS A VERY LARGE BALLROOM.

PEOPLE WERE THERE, BUT THERE WAS ROOM A LITTLE BIT TO SPREAD OUT.

THE YOU DID NOT HAVE THAT SORT OF REACTION UNTIL THE MOST RESOUNDING TIME WITH WHAT WE JUST HEARD IN THAT VIDEO WHEN HE SAID HE WAS ESSENTIALLY GIVING UP, GIVING IN, AND CONCEDING TO MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON.

THAT WAS WHEN THE CROWD -- YOU HEARD HIM TRYING TO SAY, MOVE ON FROM THAT.

I THINK NO MATTER WHO WON THIS RACE, THAT IS GOING TO BE SO DIFFICULT.

JOHNSON MAY SAY HE WANTS TO UNITE FOLKS, BUT THE PLATFORM HE HAS IS ONE THAT JUST DOES NOT SQUARE WITH MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IN THE ROOM THAT I WAS IN LAST NIGHT.

>> DO YOU SEE VALLAS SUPPORTERS GIVING JOHNSON A CHANCE?

>> I THINK IT IS LESS TO DO WITH THE BRUISING CAMPAIGN.

IT HAS REALLY TO DO WITH PLATFORM AND THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY AND SOME HEARTFELT BELIEF IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE TO SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

VALLAS LIKEWISE SAID HE WANTED TO INVEST IN COMMUNITIES TO CURB CRIME DOWN THE ROAD, BUT HE HAD A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH RIGHT NOW WHEN SHOOTINGS ARE UP.

THERE IS THAT.

I ALSO TALKED TO SOME BUSINESS FOLKS WHO SAID THERE IS A REASON THAT EVERYONE FROM SMALL BUSINESS TO BIG BUSINESS WAS BEHIND PAUL VALLAS.

THAT IS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THAT JOHNSON'S PLANS ARE GOING TO REALLY DECIMATE THE CITY, DRIVE FOLKS AND BUSINESSES OUT.

THAT IS A HEARTFELT BELIEF.

IT IS NOT SOMETHING THEY ARE GOING TO EASILY GET OVER, ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU TALK TO FOLKS ON THE RECORD, SOME OF THE BUSINESS LEADERS, SOME OF THOSE WHO HAD ENDORSED JOHNSON INSTEAD OF VALLAS, THEY SAID, WE WANT TO TOGETHER.

THEY ARE PUTTING ON A SMILEY FACE.

>> I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN A MINUTE.

WHAT DOES HIS VICTORY SAY ?

>> TOTAL DOMINANCE.

TOTAL DOMINANT POLITICAL FORCE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

PROBABLY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TOO.

LED BY THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.

OTHER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE UNIONS AND THIS GROUP, UNITED WORKING FAMILIES, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.

LET'S LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITH THE DEATH OF THE TRADITIONAL WARD ORGANIZATIONS AS POLITICAL FORCES, IT IS THE TEACHERS UNION AND PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT THAT CAME IN TO FILL THAT VOID.

LET'S ALSO REMEMBER THAT PAUL VALLAS OUTSPENT AND OUTRAISED BY MILLIONS.

BUT IT DID NOT MATCH THE POWER OF ORGANIZING.

BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

THE TEACHERS UNION GET FOLKS HANDING OUT FLYERS AND KNOCKING ON DOORS.

FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY LICKING THEIR WOUNDS TODAY, THE LESSON IS THEY DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE A BIGGER SEAT AT THE TABLE UNLESS THEY LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE LIKE THAT.

THE MONEY IS NOT GOING TO CUT IT.

>> WE ARE ALSO HEARING ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP JOHNSON IS GOING TO HAVE WITH THIS NEW COUNSEL?

>> THERE WERE 14 RUNOFFS.

ONE OF THEM IS TOO CLOSE TO CALL.

THE 29th WARD IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE COMPETITOR.

IN NINE OF THOSE RACES, THE MORE PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE WON.

THAT COMBINED WITH THE NOW SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE CHICAGO DSA IS REALLY GOING TO FORM THE NUCLEUS OF JOHNSON'S SUPPORT ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

THAT, HE HAS TO HOPE, WILL HELP HIM GET THROUGH PIECES OF HIS PLATFORM INTO LEGISLATION.

NOW THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MAJOR CHANGES TO THE WAY THE CITY OPERATES IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING SOCIAL WORKERS AND COUNSELORS GOING TO CALL 911 FOR HELP.

AND ALSO TO RAISE SIGNIFICANT MONEY IN TAXES FROM REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS FOR UNHOUSED CHICAGOANS.

THESE WERE ALL POLICIES BLOCKED BY MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT THAT NOW HAS THE SUPPORT TO PRETTY CLOSE TO A MAJORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> SOME OF THESE WILL ALSO CALL FOR CHANGES IN STATE LAW.

WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR THAT AS WELL.

CERTAINLY GOING TO BE A GROUP OF PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATORS, INCLUDING THOSE IN FRONT FOR JOHNSON.

>> MANY OF THOSE HAVE TIES TO THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION WHO PUSHED THE ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD BILL.

LIKE I SAID, STATEWIDE PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE.

>> WHAT DOES JOHNSON HAVE TO DO TO REACH OUT TO CHICAGOANS WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM?

PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHO ARE WARY HE IS JUST GOING TO RAISE TAXES ?

>> CERTAINLY BRANDON JOHNSON IS AN EXPERIENCED ORGANIZER.

HE IS AN EXPERIENCED COMMUNICATOR.

HE KNOWS HOW TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THAT WAY.

TO THE POINT ABOUT THE POWER OF PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT, WHEN YOU TALK WITH FOLKS LIKE MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON AND A LOT OF HIS SUPPORTERS, THEY SAY THEIR IDEAS ARE THE ONES THAT WON OUT.

THIS WAS NOT A LANDSLIDE VICTORY, BUT 16,000 VOTES AND LIKELY TO GROW.

THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IN A RACE WHERE WE WERE NOT NECESSARILY SURE IF WE WOULD HAVE THOSE RESULTS.

IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE PROGRESSIVE ARGUMENTS ON POLICING, TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ROOT CAUSES VERSUS INCREASING ENFORCEMENT -- THOSE WON THE DAY.

SO IT IS NOT AS THOUGH -- YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS ALSO A KNOWLEDGE THAT WEALTHY FOLKS AND BUSINESSES ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO PULL UP