The runoff election to determine who Chicago’s next mayor will be will finally reach the finish line one week from tomorrow. Early voting is already taking place and the two candidates, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas have been blanketing the airwaves with advertisements and holding events anywhere people will have them. But while Vallas was the top vote-getter in the original election, his lead is not assured to last. As NBC News reported this weekend, there is a key difference between the candidates that is driving a lot more attention than it probably should. You see, Brandon Johnson is Black and Paul Vallas is white. And activists in minority communities in the city appear to be far more concerned about that than any policy differences the candidates may have. That became evident during a recent appearance by Johnson where a local alderwoman seemed nearly tearful in relief over the support Johnson was receiving from the crowd.

Jeanette Taylor should at least be given credit for her candid honesty. Her “Black and brown coalition” is back together now that Hispanic congressman Jesus Garcia has endorsed Johnson.  It doesn’t seem to be a question of which candidate has promised to beef up the police force and reduce crime (Vallas) or which one is on record calling to further defund the police (Johnson). There was no mention of which candidate wants to raise municipal taxes (Johnson) and which wants to lower them (Vallas).

This increasingly looks like an election based on the color of a candidate’s skin rather than the content of their character, to borrow a very famous quote. NBC News seems to criticize Vallas for having the nerve to run ads casting Johnson as “a tax-and-spend liberal.” The fact that Johnson has repeatedly signaled his support for tax hikes doesn’t seem to factor into the equation.

Johnson hasn’t been shying away from the topic either. At a recent candidate forum, Vallas reminded the audience that Johnson supports instituting a city income tax (on top of all the other taxes that Chicago residents already pay). Johnson bizarrely responded by saying, “When Black men tell you the truth, believe us.”

You can see where Johnson’s support is coming from by looking at the high-profile endorsements he’s received recently. He’s secured the backing of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. He is also backed by the teachers’ union. Meanwhile, Vallas has the support of the police union and says he doesn’t want to see the city handed over entirely to the gangs.

This all boils down to a question I raised when I asked what a post-Lightfoot Chicago would look like. You might think that the last four disastrous years of Lori Lightfoot would have woken up Chicago voters of all stripes to the need for significant changes. But the latest polling suggests that might not be the case. If Chicago’s voters decided to elect back-to-back mayors who would rather pretend that the ongoing crime wave isn’t happening rather than do something about it, we shouldn’t have any further sympathy for them. Chicago may simply be a lost cause just as Baltimore has become. And that’s a shame because it once truly was one of America’s greatest cities.

But if enough people come to grips with the harsh realities that they are dealing with in Chicago, perhaps there is still hope. You can help us keep pushing stories like these into the light of day by joining the team in our VIP and VIP Gold networks. (Plus you’ll get plenty of bonus content and interactive features.) And if you sign up now you’ll still get 40% off if you use the promo code “SAVEAMERICA” at either level. Thanks as always for considering.