Paul Vallas gets support from Ja'Mal Green while AG Kwame Raoul endorses Brandon Johnson

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson both touted new support Wednesday ahead of April's runoff election.

More people are picking sides Wednesday as the election is now less than three weeks away.

Paul Vallas rolled out a series of new endorsements in two separate news conferences.

Paul Vallas, Brandon Johnson offer diametrically opposed approaches to public safety at UIC forum

The first came in Chinatown, where four city council members announced they would be supporting him, including 11th Ward Alderman Nicole Lee.

The second event was held at his campaign headquarters in the West Loop where former mayoral candidate Ja'Mal Green announced he is "Team Vallas."

"Yes, I'm gonna get a lot of flack from the North Side progressives, but I need them to understand why I made this endorsement, and that this is about tangibles," Green said. "It is not about rhetoric. This is not about rhetoric. This is about tangible results for underserved communities in this city."

"I think his endorsement, like the others I've received I think, his endorsement in many ways even greater than some of the other endorsements that I've received, indicates that yes, I mean, I'm willing to listen, I'm willing to learn," Vallas said.

READ MORE: Poll shows tight race between Vallas,Johnson

Brandon Johnson was also out on the campaign trail, receiving a new endorsement by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Raoul is the first statewide official to make an endorsement in the city's mayoral race. The event took place at the SEIU Local One union hall downtown.

Raoul says he believes Johnson will help achieve the full implementation of the Chicago police consent decree and that he will make investments in mental health, resources for police officers and crack down on organized retail theft.

"I am comfortable as a result of my direct conversations with him that he will take thoughtful and comprehensive approach to making Chicago a safer place to live," Raoul said.

"I stand here today again with the working people of the city of Chicago, as we build this better stronger safer city and doing that alongside of the top legal law enforcement officer for the state of Illinois," Johnson said.

Later in the day, Johnson picked up another endorsement from UIC United Faculty, while Vallas was endorsed by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399.

The election is set April 4 and early voting will get underway on Monday in all 50 wards.

The candidates will debate in our ABC7 studios on Thursday.

You can watch "The People's Forum" at 7 p.m. on our digital channel 7.2, and on our streaming platforms.

You can also watch it Friday night after ABC7 Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. It will be rebroadcast on Sunday at 4 p.m.