The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today responded to the results of the 2023 Mayoral Election, resulting in the election of Brandon Johnson to serve as the next Mayor of Chicago. The following statement can be attributed to Colleen K. Connell, Executive Director for the ACLU of Illinois:
“We wish Brandon Johnson success in his new position as Mayor of Chicago. Throughout the hard fought campaign, one thing that united a majority of Chicago residents and voters was a deep desire to advance and support fundamental civil liberties.
To that end, we call on the new Mayor to protect and support those seeking reproductive health care and gender-affirming care, including limiting the use of surveillance tools and technology that, track and can be weaponized against those seeking that care, to continue policies aimed at reducing the burden of fines and fees on Chicago residents, operate the office of Mayor with a commitment to transparency and openness, and implement new and creative means to engage every community in our city on policies that impact their neighborhoods.
The new Mayor also must commit to vigorously implementing the consent decree aimed at ensuring constitutional policing in every part of our city. This work must begin immediately with a full commitment to meeting all of the terms of the CPD consent decree as soon as possible. But the Mayor should not stop with the court-ordered minimum. Assuring accountability among police will build community confidence and trust, and lead to public safety for all communities. The Mayor needs to recognize that the solution to violence in our communities means rejecting “tough on crime” approaches, and instead adopt a public health approach that includes meaningful investments in health, housing, employment and social programs.
Protecting the rights and dignity of every Chicago resident is the first and foremost role of the new Mayor. The ACLU of Illinois stands willing to be a partner in this work – but will not hesitate to take action and speak out if the Mayor falls short of these fundamental commitments to the voters.”