Mayoral candidates spar over issues at forum as Chicago runoff election approaches

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago's candidates for mayor, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, stumped across the city's South Side Saturday.

The countdown to the runoff is on, with just over two weeks left until Election Day.

The jabs continued as Vallas and Johnson sparred over a variety of issues at neighborhood forum this weekend.

"He's not talking about taxing the rich or the ultra-rich, so please don't present phony budget proposals then say you don't like it give me an alternative," Vallas said.

"Under your leadership, the greatest exodus of Black women teachers happened under your watch," Johnson fired back.

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Hosted by the Coalition of African American Leaders, along with several Black Greek service organizations and community groups at Kenwood High School in Hyde Park, the forum focused on topics not only central to the mayor's race, but also communities of color.

"Our program is called a voteless is a hopefulness people...you are going to be left out," said Farrad Ali, with Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

"Specifically we are trying to bring and address and bring to the black and brown communities the candidates and the issues they represent," added Tanya Woods, with AKARamaa Foundation.

In addition to public safety, both candidates debated the merits of each other's proposals on income tax, teaching Black history and the future of public education.

"I appreciate Paul's desire privatizing public schools. Black people were forced out of the city of Chicago," Johnsons said.

"I took a school system that was nonexistent in New Orleans and built it into a national model that was celebrated by three presidents," Vallas responded.

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Vallas, a former CEO of CPS, garnered the highest percentage of votes of the nine candidates in the February 28 general election.

Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, had the second highest total.

With early voting starts Monday and many of the roughly 400 people in attendance were looking to make their voice count come Election Day.

"You have to vote yourself. You have vote your own interests. I'm not support to expect the other man to look out for me. I have to look out for me," said Dr. Odie Payne III, a forum attendee.