CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson, who campaigned for Kamala Harris last weekend in North Carolina, is reflecting on the election with one day to go.

On Monday afternoon, he sat down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with ABC7 Chicago political reporter Craig Wall.

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The mayor expresses cautious optimism and is proud of the role many Illinoisans have played in promoting Harris in swing states.

But Chicago’s budget and the fiasco with its hand-picked school chief are also a priority.

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“Yes, there’s a lot of excitement, you know, for this election cycle. Spend time in Durham, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; in Las Vegas, Nevada we see lines around the door in black communities and working-class communities,” Johnson said.

The mayor was asked what he thinks will be the deciding issue in this election, with polls showing the race between Harris and Donald Trump is very close.

“Oh, wow, you know, I think that’s who people are going to trust with the future of our economy, ultimately. People want to feel safe in their neighborhood,” Johnson said.

As the mayor attempts to put behind him the failed selection process of Mitchell Johnson, his choice for school board president who resigned over anti-Semitic messages and 9/11 conspiracy theoriesJohnson said there would be accountability. But he reiterated that he didn’t know until it was made public.

“In this particular case, for this particular person. We got to the bottom of it and we corrected the course. We will ensure that those who need to be held accountable for this incomplete work,” Johnson said.

As for his proposed budget and the $300 million in property taxes which face opposition from the city council, the mayor is staying the course on his project, affirming that there is no plan B to ignore the early pension payment almost equal to the increase in property tax.

“The only other option that’s on the table, besides raising property taxes, which I don’t want to do, is laying off police officers, firefighters, street workers and sanitation workers. I mean, those are individuals who provide essential services to the people of Chicago,” Johnson said.

As for the presidential election, the mayor said he is confident that the United States will know the winner on election night.

“I think the vote will be decisive. And I’m confident, you know, that our democracy will be protected, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Walz will be the two who will help move our democracy forward,” Johnson said .

The mayor said he plans to vote Tuesday in person and then spend a quiet night at home, watching the results with his wife.