CHICAGO (AP) Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson began his first term of office Monday , asking Chicagoans to set aside deep differences, confront challenges together and build a city that works for everyone.

Johnson, 47, whose victory was touted by progressives as evidence that bold stances lead to victory , must immediately confront an influx of migrants in desperate need of shelter, pressure to build support among skeptical business leaders, and summer months that historically bring a spike in violent crime. His first term leading the nations third-largest city will test the former union organizers ability to turn his proposals into solutions for stubborn problems worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, including public safety, economic growth and housing affordability.

Lets show the world, Chicago, where our heart is, Johnson said in his inaugural address before a cheering crowd. Lets build a Chicago that is the economic marvel of our the state, the Midwest and this nation. Lets build a Chicago that means our economy gets to grow by rerouting the rivers of prosperity to the base of disinvestment. So that no one goes thirsty.

The former organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union was little known when he entered the mayoral race in 2022 and has no experience within city government. But the two-term Cook County commissioner gradually climbed atop a crowded field with the support of the influential union he once worked for, endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and local progressives to knock off the incumbent mayor, Lori Lightfoot , and win a tough runoff in April.

Trying to appeal to those who didnt back him in the election, he has stocked his transition team with familiar names from Chicago corporations and philanthropies beside leaders of organized labor and progressive groups. He selected a veteran of Chicagos emergency management agency as his chief of staff and a retired police commander who is popular among rank-and-file officers as interim leader of the Chicago Police Department.

There is little doubt that public safety will remain the citys top concern and Johnsons response will shape his relationship with business leaders, elected officials, his progressive activist base and residents of every Chicago neighborhood.

A safe Chicago means a safe Chicago for all, no matter what you look like, who you love, or where you live, Johnson said Monday, promising a strategy rooted in more mental health care, violence prevention programs and police accountability.