More than 3 in 5 Chicago voters disapprove of Chicago Teachers Union amidst contract negotiations
PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977
More than 3 in 5 Chicago voters disapprove of Chicago Teachers Union amidst contract negotiations
CHICAGO (Feb. 4, 2025) – The Illinois Policy Institute’s newest Lincoln Poll found Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has the lowest approval rating of any sitting politician in America, with only 14% of Chicagoans viewing him favorably.
Overall, Johnson’s approval has been cut in half since 2023, dropping 14 percentage points. This coincides with Chicagoans growing disapproval of Johnsons’ former employer, the Chicago Teachers Union, and its president, Stacy Davis Gates. CTU and Davis Gates saw respective approval ratings fall to roughly 29% and 19% among Chicagoans.
CTU is currently in contract negotiations with the city, which is on course to be the most expensive public union contract in Chicago’s history. Both Johnson and CTU saw big dips in favorability among Hispanic Chicagoans. This comes after the Mayor and CTU’s public feud with out-going CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.
“Chicago voters have voiced major concerns about the handling of issues affecting our city and its leaders. Chicagoans still support their local teachers, but CTU’s leadership has driven a wedge between them. It’s critical Mayor Johnson takes these concerns to heart and meaningfully work toward solutions that benefit the entire city – not just his allies in CTU,” said Austin Berg, vice president of marketing for the Illinois Policy Institute. “A good first step would be removing himself from contract negotiations with CTU so the city can better advocate for families and taxpayers. That will give Johnson time to focus on finding solutions for rising crime and taxes to restore Chicago as a safe and attractive city to live and do business in.”
Chicagoans identified crime, high taxes, poor city governance and recent migrants as the leading issues facing the city.
The Lincoln Poll was conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute in partnership with M3 strategies, which surveyed 798 likely voters in Chicago between Jan. 21-23, 2025, with a +/- 3.47 percentage point margin of error.
Poll toplines are available here.
To read more about Mayor Johnson’s favorability, visit illin.is/unpopular.
For interviews or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.