Writing on John Kass's website, Pat Hickey posits the theory that the moderate Democrat opposing the victorious radical teachers' union candidate, Brandon Johnson, was undone by his campaign manager, Joe Trippi, a veteran Democrat campaign consultant.  He makes a good case that a critical statement put out by the losing candidate, Paul Vallas, on the advice of Trippi, discouraged Republican and conservative voters from turning out for the runoff.

[S]omeone asked Joe Trippi to run the Vallas campaign. Who suggested Joe Trippi, the man who sent the screamer Howard Dean into oblivion? It was someone who wanted to please Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. 

She has no fingerprints on this, but I must believe it to be so. Toni Preckwinkle wields great power and remains a humorless racist with a penchant for political torture. It was Toni Preckwinkle who might have uttered, "Will no one rid me of this troublesome geek (policy wonk)?"  One of Toni's barons must have decided to do the old Thomas Becket on Paul Vallas. The broadsword used to hack Paul Vallas was California Techno-politico Joe Trippi.

Preckwinkle is the boss of bosses in Chicago.

Joe Trippi, I believe, was brought in to scuttle any chance Paul Vallas might have had to save Chicago and scuttle it he did! The same guy who pushed Howard "the Scream" Dean into political obscurity would work his Progressive magic on Policy Wonk Paul. 

The evidence is clear. On February 17th, only days before the primary election Paul Vallas issued this statement condemning the FOP that had endorsed him and the Governor of Florida, Ron De Santis, who has taken the same anti-crime position as Vallas:  "I am disappointed in FOP leadership for inviting him to speak to officers. DeSantis' record of trying to erase the LGBTQ community, banning books on Black History and much more is not in line with my values, the values of our community, or the values of the rank-and-file police officers who I believe have no interest in getting swept up in culture wars and national Republican Party politics," 

Ain't no way Paul Vallas wrote that. That is pure Joe Trippi. Vallas committed an unforced error by putting his name to this statement. He was not a guest of the event sponsored by the law enforcement officers who backed his run for mayor long before any other labor union, or civic group. Paul Vallas allowed the opposition to define him. 

Joe Trippi saw that. Joe Trippi and pollster Mark Mellman, a Pat Quinn operative, poisoned any chance of non-Progressive Democrats, much less Republicans of voting for Paul Vallas. The Progressives killed the Vallas Campaign.

Vallas concedes (YouTube screen grab).

It's a theory, but it seems plausible.  And Chicago will pay a heavy price for the outcome.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol