Chicagoans reflect on the last year

Nearly one full year into the mayoralty of Chicago’s Mayor, Brandon Johnson, the Harris Poll surveyed a representative sample of Chicagoans assessing various situations impacting the city. Below are some of the key findings.

Generally, Chicagoans are unimpressed with Mayor Johnson’s performance thus far.

Only 9% of city residents rate Mayor Johnson’s performance to dat as above average, while 50% rate it below average. Unsurprisingly, perception improves among some members of Johnson’s core voter base: young Chicagoans (18-34 year-olds: 68% rate his performance as average or better); residents of color (59% average or better); and self-identified liberals (54% average or better).

Failure to address public safety concerns may drive dissatisfaction for many.

Two-thirds (64%) of city residents are concerned about public safety in the area where they live, outpacing other key issues that many believe should be managed by local officials such as taxes & fees (59%) and housing (51%).

Similarly, 67% think that local government should be primarily responsible for managing public safety issues. Two in five (40%) believe the same for taxes & fees, though nearly as many (34%) think taxes should be addressed at the state level. Nearly half (47%) think local government should be primarily responsible for managing housing issues.

Despite this, only 13% think that the public safety in Chicago has improved in the last year. Similarly few think taxes & fees (7%) or housing (10%) have improved in the last year.

While the ongoing migrant crisis is top-of-mind for many, Chicagoans generally expect solutions to come from higher levels of government for that situation.

Half (46%) of city residents are concerned about the local refugee and undocumented migrant situation in Chicago. That said, only a quarter (27%) think local officials should take lead in addressing the issue, while two-thirds (67%) believe that higher levels of government should lead on the issue (25% call for the state government to lead and 42% for the federal government). Few (6%) think non-government entities (e.g., businesses, non-profits, individuals) should be primarily responsible in addressing the issue.

Chicago’s corporate community may help Johnson reach the residents least satisfied with his performance without sacrificing his relationship with his core base.

Half of city residents agree that local leaders should do more to attract large businesses to the city. This increases to 60% among older residents (55+), and to 57% among self-identified conservative residents. A similar number (48%) agree that Chicago’s business community has an obligation to give back to the city. This remains consistent across all core demographics, and even increases among those who identify as liberal (61%). 

This survey was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll from April 5, 2024 to April 13, 2024 among 1,000 Cook County, IL residents, aged 18+. Figures were weighted where necessary to align with actual proportions within the population. For additional information, please contact The Harris Poll.