Billionaire Ken Griffin Slammed in Testy Chicago Mayoral Debate
(Bloomberg) — One of the hottest topics in the Chicago mayoral election is a person who doesn’t even live in the city anymore.
More Read from Xtrading
Ken Griffin, the hedge fund billionaire and major Republican donor, was repeatedly criticized by Brandon Johnson on Wednesday night in a televised debate with fellow Democrat Paul Vallas.
“You’re supported by someone like Ken Griffin, who loves DeSantis, right-wing extremists who deny the fact that we actually had a pandemic,” Johnson, 46, said to Vallas during the debate, referencing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Griffin, one of the nation’s richest people with a $36.6 billion fortune, is a polarizing figure in Chicago. He has clashed with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and very publicly quit Chicago last year, blaming violence in the Windy City for relocating the headquarters of his hedge fund Citadel and market maker Citadel Securities to Miami.
A failure to tackle crime contributed to Mayor Lori Lightfoot losing her reelection bid last week, something that hasn’t happened to an incumbent since 1983.
Vallas, the former head of Chicago Public Schools who pledged to be tough on crime, gained 34% of the vote. Johnson, running to the left, gained 20%. The runoff election is April 4.
Griffin, 54, said in an interview this week in Palm Beach, Florida, that he was done with Chicago politics but wants a Vallas victory.
“I’ve had enough of Illinois,” Griffin said. “I will tell you, I really admire my colleagues who have supported Paul Vallas publicly with their voice and with their money. I hope that Paul Vallas becomes the mayor of Chicago.”
Vallas, 69, didn’t directly disavow Griffin’s support, but said many of his financial backers have previously supported Democratic mayors including Rahm Emanuel and even Lightfoot.
“At the end of the day, they know the city is in crisis and they need someone who can manage the city and can pull together a leadership team that can run every department, every agency whether it’s public safety, whether it’s schools for that matter, whether it’s the budget,” Vallas said.
–With assistance from Felipe Marques.
More Read from Xtrading
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
