North Cook News

Mark Albers, President of the Niles Township Republicans, has expressed that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is now under scrutiny for promoting hiring practices based on race, which prioritize ideology over merit and fairness in public service.

"Brandon Johnson has spent his term pushing a DEI agenda that prioritizes identity over ability," said Albers. "His comments show he values race above qualifications when filling key roles. That's not leadership—that's discrimination repackaged. The city deserves leaders chosen for what they can do, not what they look like."

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Mayor Johnson's recent comments regarding the diversity within his administration have led to a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. During an appearance on May 18, Johnson highlighted that a record number of African Americans hold senior positions in his administration. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon referenced these remarks in a letter, indicating that the investigation seeks to determine if hiring decisions were made solely based on race, potentially violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Johnson has defended his administration's diversity as unprecedented in Chicago's history.

According to Politico, Assistant Attorney General Dhillon wrote to Mayor Johnson on May 19 stating, "The Department of Justice is opening an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago, Illinois, is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…. In your remarks made yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, you ‘highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration.’ You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race."

The Illinois Policy Institute reported that from July 2023 to August 2024, Chicago experienced 29,677 violent crimes—the highest figure in five years. Robberies accounted for 35%, aggravated batteries for 30%, and aggravated assaults for 27%. Aggravated assaults increased by 5.3%, primarily affecting Black victims and often involving deadly force without contact. Arrests were made in only one out of six cases despite having the second-highest arrest rate in five years. These assaults peaked at 5 p.m., predominantly occurring on the West and South sides, particularly Austin—Mayor Johnson's neighborhood—which recorded the most aggravated assaults.

Albers resides in Morton Grove, Illinois and was appointed as president of the Niles Township GOP organization early in 2024. He recently ran for Illinois House seat #15 and is dedicated to increasing Republican voter turnout and membership within Niles Township while communicating Republican positions on key issues.