The Illinois charter lobby has spent heavily in the Chicago mayoral race. In recent weeks, the charter lobby has run a barrage of ads attacking Brandon Johnson, the City Commissioner who is running against Vallas.
WTTW News reported:
A statewide advocacy organization designed to promote charter schools spent $617,000 to oppose Brandon Johnson’s campaign for mayor of Chicago, records filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections show.
The independent expenditure by the INCS Action Independent Committee, funded by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, paid for $258,000 in cable television advertisements on March 16 and $359,000 in digital advertising on March 15, records show. Election Day is April 4, and early voting is underway.
Before the first round of voting took place, the INCS Action Independent Committee spent an additional $63,000 to oppose Johnson’s campaign. In addition to their spending on the mayoral race, the committee has spent at least $107,000 to support City Council candidates in runoff elections, according to records.
Vallas has a well-established record as a passionate advocate of privatization. He supports both charter schools and vouchers.
Vallas wiped out public schools in New Orleans. He launched a massive privatization program in Philadelphia, and he left the district with a deficit.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The union spent $2.0 million. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-chicago-teachers-union-power-play-brandon-johnson-dues-money-election-campaign-ctu-chicago-donor-52a37d2b
Union money comes out of workers’ paychecks.
It’s honest money.
Can’t compete with money from billionaires like DeVos and Ken Griffen.
There is a big difference between a union and billionaires.
Say it again: It’s honest money. Unions are the good folks. Billionaires, not so much.
Interesting if Vallas is supporting the Gulen chain Concept Schools. Thanks to Dan Mihalopoulos for covering the $4.5 million fine that the Concept Schools chain paid for the financial violations.