■ Karaoke is coming to ‘The Avenue’ PAGE 3
FREE Vol. 40 No. 31
August 5, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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‘Beyond the Door’ focuses on redemption Page 5
Brandon Johnson credits Chicago for For Chris Welch, is past leading progressive politics prologue?
Amid uncertainty about whether he’ll seek re-election, Chicago mayor discusses Democratic climate
Facing ethical questions, house speaker has history in Proviso By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
The morning of July 28, the first day candidates could start collecting 12,500 signatures to get on February’s mayoral ballot, Mayor Brandon Johnson declined to answer reporters at City Hall about whether he would seek re-election. “I just want to hold on to the city of Chicago a little bit longer,” Johnson told reporters, according to Politico, saying he’s focusing on governing rather than campaigning. “Once there’s an absolute decision that’s made ... it’s Chicago, so the season changes dramatically.” That afternoon, Austin Weekly News sat down with Johnson at City Hall. And while he still wouldn’t disclose whether or not he would run for mayor again, he did discuss Chicago’s political influence and his hopes for progressive Democrats. When asked whether increasing support for progressive Democrats — demonstrated in Zohran Mamdani’s successful mayoral campaign in New York last year
EMMA BRADFORDT
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks with Austin Weekly News at City Hall on July 28. — will show up in Chicago’s mayoral election, Johnson seemed certain it would. “New York is a reaction and response to what we’ve done in Chicago,” Johnson said. “Chicago is second to none, especially when it comes to progressive politics.” Johnson outlined some key progressive politicians in Chicago, from Mayor
Harold Washington through his own term as mayor. He mentioned Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who was elected as alderman of the 35th Ward in 2015 at age 26 — one of the youngest to join City Council in ChicaSee MAYOR on page 6
On Nov. 12, 2001, young Hillside attorney Emanuel “Chris” Welch was sworn in as a new member of the Proviso District 209 high school board. The week before, the D209 board had signed an agreement to purchase a 9-acre parcel of open land in Melrose Park for $2.8 million, with plans to build a magnet high school on the site. Following the new board’s organizational meeting, Welch and another newly elected board member joined two sitting board members in voting Mike Manzo out as D209 board president and installing Teresa Kelly as president and Welch as vice president. The new board then voted to fire D209 lawyer Stanley Kusper and replace him with attorney Burt Odelson’s firm, Odelson and Sterk. It then voted to void the prior board’s agreement to buy the 9-acre property, a golf driving range on 5th Avenue, immediately west of the Kiddieland Amusement Park. Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, a mentor and key Welch political supporter, had adamantly opposed a school on the property. “Whatever we have to do on the village level, See CHRIS WELCH on page 8