SWAY AN ELECTION IS THE POWER.

>>> FRESH ENDORSEMENTS IN RACE FOR MAYOR, THE TRIAL IS UNDERWAY AND POLICE SUPERINTENDENT, DAVID BROWN REPAIRS TO STEP DOWN AS THE SEARCH FOR HIS SUCCESSOR BEGINS.

WE HAVE OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM .

EVERYBODY, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

HEATHER, LET'S START WITH THE MAYOR'S RACE, WHAT ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS?

>> TODAY, THERE WERE TWO BIG ENDORSEMENTS IN THE RACE.

BRANDON JOHNSON GOT THE FIRST STATEWIDE OFFICE TO BACK EITHER CANDIDATE IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR OF CHICAGO.

>> THIS IS THE FIRST ONE SINCE MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT LOST HER BID FOR REELECTION .

HOW DID TODAY PLAY OUT?

>> TYPICALLY, WHEN THE MAYOR INTRODUCES APPOINTMENTS TO THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THEY HAVE SAILED THROUGH, AT LEAST IN THE EARLY STAGE.

THE ALDERMEN TOLD THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT SINCE THE MAYOR HAS LOST HER REELECTION, SHE SHOULD NOT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT THAT WILL SOME CASES LAST UNTIL 2027, SO IT IS CLEAR THAT THE COUNCIL FEELS NO NEED TO FOLLOW HER LEAD.

THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED THE MEASURE THAT WOULD HELP EMPLOYEES AND NONPROFITS TO UNIONIZE , THE MAYOR OPPOSED THAT.

THEY VOTED TO APPROVE IT.

BUT, THERE IS NO MORE RUBBERSTAMP ON THIS COUNSEL, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.

SHE DIDN'T DO ANY SORT OF Q&A OR AVAILABILITY WITH REPORTERS AS IS CUSTOMARY , SO I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS DISAPPOINTING, EVEN IF IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AWKWARD OR TOUGH FOR HER TO DO SO ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.

>> WITH THE TRIAL UNDERWAY, WITH OPENING CASES, OF COURSE HE IS THE MAN THAT EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT, IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM AS EVIDENCED.

AND THE STATEMENT BY THE U.S. ATTORNEY, SARAH STRYKER , IN SHORT, MIKE MADIGAN WANTED WHAT THE DEFENDANTS GAVE AND GOT WHAT THE DEFENDANTS WANT.

THE STATE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CORRUPTION.

HOW DO YOU WEIGH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS TRIAL?

>> IS IT THAT SIMPLE?

OR IS THIS JUST LOBBYING AND HOW IT GOES?

AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TRYING TO GET FOLKS APPOINTMENTS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE ASKED BY CONSTITUENTS.

THIS IS HUGE,.

PARTICULARLY AS IT DID FOR DECADES, MIKE MADIGAN AT THE HELM AS THE STATES MOST POWERFUL POLITICIAN, IS NOW GOING TO BE NATIONALLY AS ATTENTION GRABBING , YOU DON'T HAVE CERTAIN POSTS, YOU DON'T QUITE HAVE THAT, BUT YOU DO HAVE SOME THINGS.

YOU HAVE THINGS, LIKE OUR FRIEND THAT WAS USED BY MIKE MADIGAN'S BEST HE TO DESCRIBE HIM, AND I THINK THAT COULD SERVE AS A VERY WELL NATIONAL NARRATIVE, RIGHT?

>> THAT QUOTE FROM SARAH STRYKER , IT'S THAT SIMPLE, WITHOUT ALLEGING ANY OTHER WRONGDOING, THAT IS HOW YOU CAN SUM UP HIS CAREER AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IN SPRINGFIELD.

THAT IS HOW IT WORKS.

>> ANOTHER REASON TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS, STILL, THIS IS ABOUT THE UTILITY THAT EVERYBODY IN THE VIEWING AREA IS DEPENDENT ON TO BRING THEM THERE THE CITY THE ELECTRICITY AND HOW MUCH WE OWE FOR THAT POWER.

>> DAVID BROWN, HIS LAST DAY IS TOMORROW, THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD NOT KEEP HIM IN THAT POSITION IF THEY WERE TO BE ELECTED MAYOR, SO OF COURSE BROWN KNEW HIS TIME WAS COMING.

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS HIS TIME IN CHICAGO?

>> DAVID BROWN, HE CAME IN RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND MAYBE THERE WAS NO SUPERINTENDENT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO PRESIDE OVER A CITY THAT DID NOT SEE A SPIKE IN CRIME AND HOMICIDES BECAUSE IT HAPPENED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

BUT, BROWN REPLACED CHARLIE BECK , HE HAD LED THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT'S REFORM EFFORT , VERY HIGHLY REGARDED, HE REORGANIZED THE DEPARTMENT.

HE GOT HIGH MARKS FROM POLICE REFORMERS, FROM THE RANK AND FILE, FROM OBSERVERS, DAVID BROWN CAME IN AND UNDID A LOT OF THAT, HE NEVER HAD THE COMMAND AND RANK OF FILE.

AND THE PACE OF REFORM WAS REALLY SLOW.

AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS IS A VERY POOR LEGACY AND THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO INSTITUTE SOME KIND OF STABILITY IN THAT DEPARTMENT THAT CONTINUES TO SEE CHANGE AND ATTRITION AND A CHANGE IN PHILOSOPHY.

SOMETHING WILL HAVE TO GIVE.

>> THERE'S NO SMALL AMOUNT OF WORK FOR WHOEVER HAS THE JOB, OBVIOUSLY, HIS DEPARTURE WILL TAKE UNTIL MID JULY , THIS IS A JOB THEY WILL BE FINISHING UP ONCE THEY GET INTO OFFICE.

DO WE KNOW WHAT THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMISSION WILL BE LOOKING FOR?

>> THEY HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE, WHERE THEY SAID THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO DO TWO THINGS, BEEF UP THE REFORM EFFORT.

THE CITY IS ONLY IN COMPLIANCE OF 3% OF THE DISSENT DECREE WHICH IS 4 YEARS OLD, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE THERE.

BUT THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CHICAGO HAS A CRIME PROBLEM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MORALE IS VERY LOW, THERE IS NO SHORT TO DO LIST .

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE A BIG DEBATE AGAIN ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE FROM SOMEBODY INSIDE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR WHETHER IT SHOULD BE ANOTHER OUTSIDE.

BOTH JOHNSON AND PAUL VALLAS SAY THEY HAVE PREFERENCE FOR SOMEBODY TO COME UP THROUGH THE RANKS, WHETHER IT IS SOMEBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT TODAY THAT CAN TACKLE THAT LIST: >> HERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION, THEY ARE GETTING STARTED ON THIS PROCESS TO FIND THE NEXT FINALIST, WILL THEY CHOOSE THE LIST OF FINALISTS BEFORE THE COUNCIL TAKES ITS SEAT?

THIS IS AN INTERIM COMMISSION, AND