Paul Vallas has emerged as the favorite in the race to become mayor of Chicago. Fences will fight Brandon Johnson in an April 2023 runoff. The former education superintendent has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in fortunes: In 2019, he finished ninth, with just 5% of the vote; in 2023 he finished first, with 34% of the vote, 14% more than Johnson.
Vallas’ pledge to crack down on crime has resonated with Chicagoans, who have suffered in recent years from rising homicide and property crime rates.
This piece looks at Paul Vallas’s wife, Sharon Vallas.
Paul Vallas and his wife Sharon lost their youngest son to opioid addiction
Paul Vallas and his wife Sharon are approaching four decades together. In May 2022, Paul dedicated the following message to Sharon via LinkedIn:
“Happy Mother’s Day to my wife Sharon. Thank you for the 38 years of sacrifice you have made for me, our three children, and for raising such good men. You have loved unconditionally and have been a true inspiration to our boys that you have dedicated your life to.”
Sharon and Paul Vallas
The couple’s two sons, Gus and Paul Jr, are former Marines turned police officers. Their youngest son, Mark, died on February 24, 2018 due to heart complications caused by opioid addiction. In February 2019, Paul told Michael Sneed about The Chicago Sunshine Times:
“Mark died clean; he had left rehab and was living in a group home. He took a nap and never woke up. My son’s long-term addiction had devastating effects on his health and he died of an enlarged heart.”
Vallas said she held back from talking about Mark because she didn’t want people to see her story as a political weapon. “Addiction doesn’t just destroy the body; it breaks families,” Vallas said. Vallas claimed that the death of his son reinforced his desire to run for office.
The mayoral candidate said it took Mark a long time to overcome his addiction. “So many families are affected by this scourge,” Vallas said. “Many families are suffering. It’s like the Great Plague of the Middle Ages. The disease does not discriminate.
Sharon is a private person, so we know little about her. We will surely know more about her if she becomes the First Lady of Chicago.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn