Agudath Israel of Illinois (AIOI) congratulates Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson on his victory in Chicago’s mayoral runoff election.
As part of Agudath Israel’s advocacy and outreach efforts, both candidates were invited to meet with our organization. On Friday, March 24, Mr. Johnson visited Agudath Israel’s offices where he addressed AIOI’s leadership along with a host of rabbinic, organizational, and lay leaders. Mr. Johnson was very attentive to the concerns of the Orthodox community and shared his perspective on how to address them. He demonstrated a keen understanding of the issues and a desire to work with Agudath Israel on addressing these and other challenges. The mayor-elect expressed a strong commitment to ensure the community continues to have the ability to live in accordance with their values and culture, and pledged to keep open a direct line of communication and to continue cultivating a strong working relationship.
The meeting was not Mr. Johnson’s first visit to AIOI’s headquarters. “Brandon actually took the first step and came to visit us long before officially launching his campaign,” said Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, AIOI’s director of government affairs. “I was impressed with his expressed desire to serve all communities, including ours, and look forward to working with him as he works to unite our city.”