(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is triggering leftists with his new campaign slogan: “Public safety is a human right.”
Vallas, a Democrat, has taken a staunchly anti-crime position in his race against incumbent mayor and intersectional star Lori Lightfoot.
According to Red State, leftists are attacking him as a “fake Democrat” because of his take on the city’s crime problem, personal opposition to abortion and approval of the school choice movement.
Vallas, who is a lawyer by trade, has done a great deal of pro-bono work for the Fraternal order of Police union, and has the endorsement of the Chicago Police Union.
Polls show the race between Vallas and Lightfoot with third candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia trailing behind—an unexpected turn of events for Garcia, who responded with a barrage of campaign ads.
“Mr. Vallas’s rise in the polls to around 18% is reflected in the missiles now coming his way,” the polling report read. “Ms. Lightfoot says he isn’t speaking up enough on abortion (he’s pro-choice). Mr. Garcia says he is a conservative ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing.’ But nothing seems to stick.”
“Since Jan. 1, Mr. Vallas has raised $2.4 million, compared with $829,000 for Mr. Garcia, $751,000 for Mr. Johnson and $739,000 for Ms. Lightfoot,” the report added.
While Vallas personally opposes abortion as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, he publicly supports the pro-choice movement. However, Democrats voters in the 2022 midterm election proved that the issue is a priority.
Despite the concerns of many Democrats over the issue, Vallas seems to be surging ahead. He explained his support of the pro-choice movement in a recent interview.
“Personal religious conviction is unrelated to my public position supporting women’s reproductive rights,” he said. “It’s like asking Joe Biden as a Catholic, ‘Are you for abortion?’ Or Rich Daley. Or John Kennedy.”
He also defended his support for school vouchers, as opposed to solely funding public schools.
“If parents want to send their kids to parochial and private schools because they believe their local school is unsafe and not up to academic standards, parents should have the opportunity to participate in a scholarship program and receive tuition support to go to the schools of their choice,” he said.
