Mayor Johnson discusses 4th of July violence, future of NASCAR Chicago
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CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is open to bringing NASCAR back to Chicago.

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At a news conference with reporters on Tuesday he weighed in on the street race and holiday weekend violence.

“I don’t know how those guys and women drive those cars in those kind of suits, like, if I had to wear that outfit every single day at work, that would be very difficult,” Johnson said.

He may not have to wear the suit, but Johnson must decide if bringing the street race back to Chicago is worth it.

“The larger question is around, how do neighborhoods across the city benefit from anything that we bring to the City of Chicago,” he said.

While revenue generated from NASCAR is still being added up, the mayor says NASCAR has been supportive of neighborhood programs. However, without getting into specifics, the mayor says everything must be on the table when negotiating with NASCAR.

“Far more people are going to be involved in this process than when it was initially birthed,” he said.

Downtown aldermen are demanding they be part of the conversations with NASCAR.

They say negotiations must include changing the date of the race from 4th of July weekend.

“It’s a heavier burden for our law enforcement, because of so many so much activity that happens in Chicago,” Johnson said.

Despite a long holiday weekend that began with a deadly mass shooting in River North, the mayor says July 4th crime numbers were down compared to years past.

“The decline of violence is a result of the full force of government, working with all entities of government, at every single level of government, and making critical investments, particularly communities that have been starved in decades,” he said.

The mayor said he is worried how those communities will be impacted by President Trump’s big policy bill.

Johnson said his budget team plans to do a complete analysis to figure out the exact impact.

READ ALSO | $10K reward offered for information after 18 shot, 4 killed in River North mass shooting

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