Good afternoon, Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nominee for the Regional Transportation Authority board, West Side pastor Rev. Ira Acree, withdrew himself from consideration today after activists and some aldermen argued he was unqualified for the position.
Acree, pastor of Austin’s Greater St. John Bible Church, is a close ally of Johnson’s and a civil rights activist. As his nomination advanced in the City Council’s Transportation Committee earlier this month, Acree struggled answering questions about the transit system and its looming financial challenges during a tense hearing.
The former nominee described the aldermen who resisted his nomination as “so-called allies” who are “enemies of African American advancement and empowerment” in an interview with the Tribune Friday.
“These people, they mince every word you say, everything you do. I don’t need that. I can find a better use of my time as a civil rights leader and as a pastor,” he said.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson, center, walks to the office of Senate President Don Harmon for a meeting at the state Capitol on May 8, 2024, in Springfield. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
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