Gates' New Union Post May Give Brandon Johnson Campaign Boost.
Stacy Davis Gates is set to become a key player in Illinois politics after taking over as head of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the state's largest teacher union. The move could give her a fresh source of campaign funding, with ties to Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is seeking reelection.
The CTU has been a significant contributor to Johnson's campaigns, pouring millions into his fund and mobilizing supporters on the streets. Gates' elevation to leadership at the IFT could grant her greater influence over how the organization dispatches its funds, which now total over $2 million. However, it's unclear whether she will be collecting both salaries.
The CTU has maintained a political action committee with around $2,000 in hand, overseen by Gates, while another fund with more than $500,000 is managed by other officials. United Working Families, affiliated with Johnson, has been heavily funded by the CTU and the Service Employees International Union.
Johnson's campaign treasurer, Crystal Gardner, worked for years at United Working Families before joining his campaign team. The IFT's parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers, has given over $2 million in campaign money to Johnson since 2018.
The IFT fund made several large contributions to Friends of Brandon Johnson in recent months, including a $150,000 donation just days before. Other notable contributions include $90,100 and $100,000 in previous years. The organization also gave Johnson $500,000 after his initial election victory and $2,500 in April. A more recent contribution was $7,000 in July.
Johnson's campaign is heavily reliant on organized labor and affiliated organizations, with over 80% of his fundraising coming from these sources since late 2022 and late 2023. The IFT fund has also made significant contributions to Democratic campaigns for state legislative leaders.
Stacy Davis Gates is set to become a key player in Illinois politics after taking over as head of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the state's largest teacher union. The move could give her a fresh source of campaign funding, with ties to Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is seeking reelection.
The CTU has been a significant contributor to Johnson's campaigns, pouring millions into his fund and mobilizing supporters on the streets. Gates' elevation to leadership at the IFT could grant her greater influence over how the organization dispatches its funds, which now total over $2 million. However, it's unclear whether she will be collecting both salaries.
The CTU has maintained a political action committee with around $2,000 in hand, overseen by Gates, while another fund with more than $500,000 is managed by other officials. United Working Families, affiliated with Johnson, has been heavily funded by the CTU and the Service Employees International Union.
Johnson's campaign treasurer, Crystal Gardner, worked for years at United Working Families before joining his campaign team. The IFT's parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers, has given over $2 million in campaign money to Johnson since 2018.
The IFT fund made several large contributions to Friends of Brandon Johnson in recent months, including a $150,000 donation just days before. Other notable contributions include $90,100 and $100,000 in previous years. The organization also gave Johnson $500,000 after his initial election victory and $2,500 in April. A more recent contribution was $7,000 in July.
Johnson's campaign is heavily reliant on organized labor and affiliated organizations, with over 80% of his fundraising coming from these sources since late 2022 and late 2023. The IFT fund has also made significant contributions to Democratic campaigns for state legislative leaders.
Stacy Davis Gates taking the lead at Illinois Federation of Teachers could totally boost Brandon Johnson's campaign, you know, all that cash from their parent union American Federation of Teachers is gonna flow through and help him win again 
... Stacy Davis Gates taking over the IFT is a big deal, but it's like she just stepped into a game where everyone's trying to one-up each other. It's great that she's going to have more control over their funds, but what about all the money pouring in from United Working Families and the SEIU? Is it even worth it if it means they're basically beholden to Mayor Johnson? 
And what about Crystal Gardner, his campaign treasurer, who used to work for UWF? That just reeks of corruption...
So the CTU is basically giving Brandon Johnson's campaign a free pass to party 
, and it's no wonder he's got over 80% of his funding coming from organized labor – the IFT fund just dropped $150k into his pocket like that's nothing 
. The IFT's influence on the CTU's funds is huge now, and with Gates at the helm, it'll be interesting to see how they play this out 
just saw the news about Stacy Davis Gates and Brandon Johnson's campaign... 
! 
. will she take both salaries tho? 
and btw, it's wild how much labor orgs like the IFT & SEIU are contributing to Johnson's campaign 
. seems like organized labor is a big player in this election 
... 
. I mean, it's not like anyone's gonna be mad about that, right? 
It's all good vibes and more money for the people... or so we're told 
" Stacy Davis Gates taking over at the Illinois Federation of Teachers is a big deal, reminds me of when Rahm Emanuel was in office back in the day 
. He was always trying to woo unions with promises of more funding for schools and whatnot. It's crazy how the CTU has been pouring so much money into Mayor Johnson's campaigns already - it feels like they're just throwing it all out there like last year's Christmas lights 
. I mean, it's probably gonna help Brandon get reelected, but at what cost? 
With her new role, she'll have more control over the funds and can make even bigger moves to support Mayor Brandon Johnson's reelection efforts. I mean, we all know how important organized labor is in Chicago politics, and if Stacy can tap into that power, it could be a major boost for his campaign 
. I'm keeping an eye on this one, it feels like things are about to get really interesting! 
... and whats with all this organized labor business? like its just another way for ppl to make a buck, or so i see it 
anyway this gates lady sounds like she's got some power now and ill will see how her campaign does but if johnson wins im just gonna be over here lowkey annoyed that my student loans r still a thing 
, helpin' to spread the word about education and workers' rights 
. Let's see how it all plays out!