Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson formally launched his campaign for a second term on Tuesday, confirming he will seek reelection in the 2027 municipal race despite persistently low approval ratings.

Johnson, a former Cook County commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer, won office in a 2023 runoff with strong backing from progressive labor groups. His first term has been marked by clashes with the City Council over the city budget, public safety, and the cost of housing migrants bused to Chicago from the southern border.

Recent polling by local outlets has shown Johnson's approval rating among the lowest of any recent Chicago mayor. Several Democrats have signaled interest in challenging him, with business leaders and moderate aldermen criticizing his handling of the city's structural deficit and property tax pressures.

The reelection bid sets up what analysts at the University of Illinois Chicago expect to be a bruising contest in the nation's third-largest city. Johnson is likely to lean on the labor coalition and Black and progressive voters who first elected him, while opponents court downtown business interests and public safety-focused constituencies.

Johnson framed the campaign around affordability, investment in neighborhoods, and expanded youth employment, defending his record against critics who argue the city's finances remain precarious heading into 2027.