Good morning.

In the wake of the big election news from Tuesday, the Opinion page is back to discussing matters closer to home.

We have dueling op-eds on Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed budget for 2026. On one side is regular contributor Willie Wilson, who ran in the 2023 mayoral election Johnson eventually won. He takes the mayor to task for blaming the Trump administration for deficits that are the result of Chicago's own fiscal misconduct.

On the other side is a piece from a Chicago Public Schools teacher and recording secretary for the Chicago Teachers Union urging support for the budget.

Back to Tuesday, which can only be interpreted as a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump and his administration so far. The editorial board offers its own take. And the victory of a certain democratic socialist mayor-elect in a very large city should not be the principal takeaway for either party.

In a second editorial, the board is pleased to see two of our most affluent suburbs, Highland Park and Evanston, get on the housing-abundance train.

Last but not least, letters provide readers' reaction to a recent editorial asking Gov. JB Pritzker to veto recently passed "right to die" legislation. Given the subject matter, you won't be surprised that the letters are full of emotional personal experiences. We appreciate the thoughtful responses, many of which disagree with us.

Have a great day, and we'll be back tomorrow.

— Steve Daniels, editorial board member

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