Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates said she would help collect petition signatures for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s re-election campaign, signalling the union’s continued political backing for the mayor. The support matters because the CTU has been a major force in Chicago politics and Johnson has longstanding ties to organised labour.

The article frames Gates’s pledge as firm support for Johnson as he prepares to seek another term. It also includes criticism from former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who said Johnson was struggling to run the city and objected to his approach to co-operation with US immigration authorities.