As Stacy Davis Gates expands her clout by taking over as the head of a statewide teachers union, the new job may allow her greater access to another large pot of campaign money just as her ally, Mayor Brandon Johnson, prepares to run for reelection.

It’s well known that Gates, who retains her post as head of the Chicago Teachers Union, and Johnson are close politically and that the CTU was a significant force in getting him elected to City Hall in 2023 — pumping millions of dollars into his campaign fund, and putting foot soldiers onto the streets to drum up voter support.

But less known is that the Illinois Federation of Teachers — the CTU’s statewide parent organization that Gates recently took over as the new president, replacing longtime chief Dan Montgomery — also maintains a politi

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