Monday afternoon, he sat down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with ABC7 Chicago political reporter Craig Wall.
The mayor is expressing cautious optimism, and is proud of the role many Illinoisans have played in canvassing for Harris in swing states.
But, the Chicago budget and the fiasco with his handpicked schools chief are also top of mind.
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"Yeah, there's a great deal of excitement, you know, for this election cycle. Spend time in Durham, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Las Vegas, Nevada. We're seeing lines around the door in Black communities and working-class communities," Johnson said.
The mayor was asked what he thinks the deciding issue is going to be in this election, with polls showing the race between Harris and Donald Trump is very close.
"Oh, wow, you know, I think it's who people will trust with the future of our economy, when it all comes down to it. People want to feel secure in their neighborhoods," Johnson said.
As the mayor tries to put behind him the bungled vetting process of Mitchell Johnson, his choice for school board president who resigned over antisemitic posts and 9/11 conspiracy theories, Johnson said there will be accountability. But, he reiterated he did not know until it became public.
"In this particular instance, for this one particular individual. We got to the bottom of it, and we've made the course correction. We'll make sure that those who have to be held accountable for that incomplete work," Johnson said.
As for his proposed budget and the $300 million property tax that is running into City Council opposition, the mayor is holding the line on his plan, saying there is no plan B to skip the advance pension payment nearly equal to the property tax increase.
"The only other option that's on the table, besides raising property taxes, which I don't want to do, is to lay off police officers, firefighters, streets and sanitation workers. I mean, these are individuals that provide essential services to people of Chicago," Johnson said.
As for the presidential election, the mayor expressed confidence the U.S. will know the winner on election night.
"I think the vote will be decisive. And I feel, you know, confident, you know, that our democracy will be protected, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Walz will be the two that will help move our democracy forward," Johnson said.
The mayor said he plans to vote Tuesday in-person and then have a quiet night at home, watching the returns with his wife.