>>> THE FINISH LINE IS IN VIEW.

FOUR MORE DAYS OF CAMPAIGN ADS IN THE EVENING NEWS.

AND THEN WE LIKELY GET TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN FOR A POTENTIAL RUNOFF.

JOINING US TO BREAK DOWN WHERE THE CAMPAIGN IS THAT , JASON DeSANTO, A POLITICAL SPEECHWRITER AND DEBATE WRITER.

THE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATION.

ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THE ADS ARE INESCAPABLE AT THIS POINT.

THEY ARE STUFFING UP PEOPLE'S MAILBOXES.

WHAT STRUCK YOU ON THE LAST DAY OF THIS RACE?

>> IT IS A LAST MINUTE SCRAMBLE.

IT IS ALL ABOUT BUILDING COALITION.

A VOTE HERE, A VOTE THERE.

THE NAME OF THE GAME IS TO FINISH ONE VOTE AHEAD OF THE PERSON IN THIRD PLACE.

THAT IS WHY WE ARE SEEING THE CROSS APPEALS, BASICALLY THROWING EVERYTHING AT EACH OTHER TO GET OVER THAT FINISH LINE.

>> THERE IS A LOT BEING FLUNG , GARCIA IS TAKING A LOT OF INCOMING THIS WEEK.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

>> I WON'T STAND FOR A FAILED MAYOR, ALL SHE WILL DO IS RUN A SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST ME.

I WALK THE WALK.

>> YOU KNOW ME, IS THE SAME AS ANY PARTICULAR COALITION?

>> THIS IS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A PUZZLING CAMPAIGN ALL THE WAY THROUGH, PARIS.

GOT IN LATE, DIDN'T -- NUMBER 5-1, HE HAS MADE UP SOME GROUND.

THE INITIAL ATTACKS BY THE MAYOR ON WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS REALLY TRULY A REFORMER, WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS IN LEAGUE WITH SAM BANK WHEN FREED AND THE OTHERS.

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COUNTER THAT NARRATIVE WITH ONE PARTICULAR VOTER GROUP THAT THEY ARE ALL FIGHTING FOR.

EACH OF THESE CANDIDATES, PAUL VALLAS, LIGHTFOOT, BRANDIS JOHNSON AND GARCIA, THEY NEED TO TO GET VOTES FROM THAT AREA .

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO SHORE UP HIS PROGRESSION, BONA FIDE WITH THE GROUP.

HEANEY SAID TO GO ALONG WITH THE LATINO VOTE.

>> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE QUINTESSENTIAL LAKEFRONT LIBERAL AND LARGELY WHITE VOTERS?

>> CORRECT.

PAUL VALLAS WHOSE CAMPAIGN IS BASED MOSTLY ON THE CRIME ISSUE, IT SOLIDIFIED THE NORTHWEST SIDE WART ALSO WHITE VOTERS.

THIS WEEK, RAN AN AD ABOUT HIS OWN PROGRESSIVE BONA FIDE.

AHEAD OF JOE BIDEN, NON- MARRIAGE.

WHEN HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HE WAS IN FAVOR OF PARTNER BENEFITS, WHICH WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

THERE WAS PERSPECTIVE ON ALL OF IT.

ALL THE MEN FROM THE 44.

HE CAME THIS CLOSE TO RUNNING, I SUPPOSE.

AND THEN BRANDIS RILEY , ALSO IN THE SAME AREA.

WHAT WE ARE SEEING ARE THESE CANDIDATES TRYING TO POSITION THEMSELVES FOR THAT VOTE.

THEY ARE TRYING TO COME, AND THEN ADD IN THAT AREA.

>> WHEN SHE MAKES A COMMENT THAT SHE DID THIS WEEK, SAYING IT IS TIME TO TAKE OUR CITY BACK, PLAYING THE DOG WHISTLE POLITICS.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A STORY YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW HE WAS INTERACTING WITH SOME PRETTY OFFENSIVE CONTENT WITH SOME RIGHT-WING ATTACKS -- ACCOUNTS ON TWITTER.

>> SURE, THEY DO.

THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS HE CUT THAT SPECIFIC AD.

THE FIRST TIME HE HAS REALLY DONE THAT, AN ENTIRE 32nd AD .

I THINK IT MIGHT REALLY BE AN ISSUE FOR HIM IF HE IS ABLE TO GET INTO THE RUNOFF.

WHAT WILL WE HAVE?

MORE MONEY TO WHOEVER HIS MAIN COMPETITOR IS.

MORE OXYGEN, BECAUSE NOT AS MANY VOICES.

AND TO COMBINE SOME OF THE STRANDS OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

THE POLICE ENDORSEMENT, JOHN -- WHO IS THE HEAD OF THAT UNION.

HIS ASSOCIATIONS ARE PROBABLY NOT THE ONES THAT PAUL VALLAS WANT TO TAKE TO THE NUMBER CREDIT COLLECTOR.

THE ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP WITH THE WEBSITE AND SOME OFFENSIVE POSTINGS THERE, LIKES AND COMMENTS REGARDING THE MAYOR'S APPEARANCE.

WHEN SOMEBODY HAS THE ABILITY TO PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER INTO ONE ARGUMENT, IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE JUST THROWING ONE THING OUT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOMEBODY WHO IS PROCEEDS TO BE A FRONTRUNNER.

IT WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IT'S HE GETS INTO THAT.

>> EVERY POLE KIND OF HAS VALLAS IN THE LEAD , SOME BY A LOT.

>> I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT IT MAKES HIM -- AND ONE WHO SAYS THEY KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS NOT REALLY ON THE LEVEL.

HE CERTAINLY HAS BEHAVED LIKE ONE FOR A WHILE.

THAT IS THE PRODUCT OF VERY CLEAR MESSAGING EARLY ON.

THE MESSAGES BY HIS DEMEANOR, HIS REPUTATION THAT MAKE IT A TOUGH ON CRIME MESSAGE, NOT AS AN OVER THE TOP TOUGH ON CRIME MESSAGE.

WHEN YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER, THE FACT THAT THE CITY APPEARS TO BE NEEDED TO FIX, AND HE IS PREPARING HIMSELF AS MR.

FIX IT.

>> THEY HAVE KIND OF SURGED IF YOU ARE BELIEVE IN THE POLLS THAT HAVE COME OUT LATELY.

HE'S GOT MONEY COMING TALKED ABOUT THE MONEY AND THE MESSAGE.

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE, DO YOU THINK?

>> WHAT WE HAVE FOR MOST OF THIS CAMPAIGN, PARTICULARLY THROUGHOUT THE DEBATES , AND SOME OF THE ADS, AS WELL, TWO REALLY CLEAR MESSENGERS IN THIS RACE.

VALLAS AND JOHNSON.

JOHNSON'S MESSAGE IS DIFFERENT THAN ANYONE ELSE'S UP THERE.

WHEN THERE IS A PUBLIC SAFETY QUESTION, HE WOULD ALWAYS START WITH HIS CORE MESSAGE WAS ACROSS MANY ISSUES, INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE.

THAT CAN SOUND VERY VAGUE.

IT CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

HE WAS CONSISTENT.

HE WAS VIGOROUS.

HE IS A REALLY GOOD SPOKESPERSON FOR HIMSELF AS A CANDIDATE.

THE ISSUE FOR HIM IS TWOFOLD.

NUMBER ONE, ALL THE MONEY FROM THE CTU, DOES THAT MAKE HIM SUSPECT IN TERMS OF HIS ABILITY TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS?

THE QUESTION CAME UP IN THAT DEBATE.

HE REALLY DODGED THE QUESTION.

>> THEY MIGHT BE A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED HERE.

AND THE SECOND ISSUE THAT HE REALLY HAS, NOW THAT HE HAS SHORED HIMSELF UP WITH A REALLY GOOD CAMPAIGN, YOU NOTICE HE IS BACKING OFF ON SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS.

IS HE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FUND POLICE AT THE SAME LEVEL, HE HAS BEEN SLIPPERY ABOUT THAT.

>> THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THE MAYOR COMING OUT .

>> THAT BRINGS US TO THE MAYOR.

I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE HELPED HER A LOT EARLIER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR HER IS THE FINDING WHAT SHE STANDS FOR IN THIS RACE.

SHE IS RUNNING AS THE INCUMBENT.

YOU WEAR THE JACKET AND SHE IS THE INCUMBENT.

IT OUGHT TO BE A CHOICE .

MAKE IT A CHOICE BY POINTING TO PEOPLE TO YOUR LEFT, OR TO YOUR RIGHT POLITICALLY.

POSITION YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE.

IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY THAT SHE WENT AFTER JOHNSON AND DEFINED HIM AS BEING TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, HAVING TOO MANY OF WHAT SHE WOULD CALL, RADICAL PERIODS IS IT TOO LATE FOR HER TO MAKE THIS CASE?

IN THIS AD THAT WE ARE SEEING , THIS PERSON, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN TRUST BECAUSE THEY ARE POSITIVE ON THE LEFT.

HE IS SAYING ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT ABORTION, TAKING BACK OUR CITY.

MAYBE YOU DON'T THINK I AM THE NICEST CITY -- PERSON IN THE WORLD.

>> IT PUTS INTO CONTEXT ALL OF THE FACTS THAT SHE HAS WANTED TO DO, AND IN HER VIEW, THINGS ARE BETTER.

THE CRIME HAS GOTTEN BETTER, SHE HAS TAKEN ON REFORMS IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN YOU THINK IT IS.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT A 71% WRONG TRACK RECORD, THAT IS NOT WHERE PEOPLE ARE , NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF WHAT IS IN THEIR MIND, BUT IS WHEN IN THEIR GUT AND HEART.

WANTED TO MAKE ALL OF THESE MESSAGES, THEY HAD TO BE LISTENING.

THE ONLY WAY THAT WILL HAPPEN IS IF YOU ARE POINTING THE OTHER PEOPLE , THEY WILL MAKE IT EVEN WORSE THAN THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.

YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS THE COMMENTS IN SPITE OF WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT, AND HAS MADE A FEW MISTAKES.

ACTUALLY, THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHO ELSE IS IN THERE.