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As an unpaid negotiator for the Fraternal Order of Police, Jim Franczek said Paul Vallas was singularly responsible for convincing the Fraternal Order of Police to accept a host of police accountability measures as part of the eight-year police contract that ended the longest labor stalemate in Chicago history. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said Thursday she expects vanquished mayoral challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia to endorse Brandon Johnson in the April 4 mayoral runoff, bringing Chicago’s fractured family of progressives back together. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by her colleagues, Sun-Times' chief political reporter Tina Sfondeles and WBEZ's political reporter Dan Mihalopoulos to recap Tuesday's historic Mayoral election. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Axelrod has helped to elect mayors, senators and the nation’s first Black president. While not ready to “write the epitaph” of incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot, he said: “She definitely has a very, very steep uphill climb.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the November day when Garcia finally entered the race, he told the Sun-Times that he would love to unite the progressive movement had has championed for a lifetime, but he was prepared to go it alone if it was too late for that in the first round of the mayoral sweepstake. He expressed confidence that he could force Lightfoot or someone else into a runoff and that the progressive family would reunite behind him then. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a good thing former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas has developed a “thick hide” in over 40 years in public service. He needs it—and a flak jacket—with all of the political heat he is getting in the nine-way race for mayor of Chicago. “I’m the frontrunner. That’s the reason. They know I’ve got momentum. They know I’m rising in the polls. They know that I’m a threat. And this time, they’re gonna try to attack me personally as opposed to challenge me on the issues,” Vallas said Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Veteran Chicago Police Detective Bob Bartlett is trying to unseat the fiery union president who has gone toe to toe with Mayor Lori Lightfoot over all things law enforcement in a feud that paused, only long enough to deliver an eight-year police contract. Like Catanzara, Bartlett is no fan of Lightfoot or her handpicked Police Superintendent David Brown. He wants to see both of them gone. But, Bartlett said there’s a way to do it and a way not to do it. And Catanzara’s verbal scorched earth policy is not the way to go. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayoral challenger Sophia King (4th) has a grand plan to breathe new life into a Chicago Public School System that has been hemorrhaging students — with more than 82,000 students lost over the last decade. It builds on the plan she has already announced to deliver Chicago from violent crime. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayoral challenger Brandon Johnson, the Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer, came out swinging against Garcia and would not commit to supporting Garcia—and re-uniting the fractured family of progressives—if Garcia makes it to the runoff and Johnson doesn’t. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Retiring Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) joined Sun-Times City Hall reporter on Wednesday to discuss his storied career and who he is endorsing for Mayor of Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayoral challenger Ja’Mal Green on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping public safety plan to confront the violent crime that is foremost on the minds of Chicago voters. His bold plans call for creating: a “universal” pre-school program for three-year-olds; 10,000, year-round apprenticeships program for young people between the ages of 13 and 25 and making Lightfoot’s guaranteed minimum income pilot a permanent program, but with twice as many participants, double the monthly paycheck and strings attached. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by Sun-Times chief polical reporter Tina Sfondeles and WBEZ state and government reporter Dave McKinney to recap the top stories of 2022. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by reporter and columnist Mark Brown and investigative reporter Tim Novak to discuss the long history of the indicted alderperson's relationship with power and the City Council amid his decision to not seek reelection. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by attourney Burt Odelson, who lends his extensive experience in Chicago election law to explain petition challenges, which tend to whittle down the broad field of candidates ahead of Election Day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Portraying himself as the “coalition-builder” Chicago needs, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Illinois) will join the crowded race for mayor on Thursday determined to defeat incumbent Lori Lightfoot with or without his life-long allies in the Chicago Teachers Union. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a soul-searching interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, former Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st) talked about going into his own tailspin after failing to talk a beloved friend and precinct captain out of committing suicide. He talked about being haunted forever by the gun-shot he heard during that phone call with 1st Ward laborer Joe Muntaner on Mother’s Day, 2017. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cook County commissioner said he is running because incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot has failed progressives. “The hopes and desires of working families have been ignored,” Johnson told the Sun-Times. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A former Chicago Public Schools CEO, Vallas said he has $1.82 million in cash on hand after a modest third-quarter of fundraising and a “significant spike” in contributions after the Sept. 30 deadline that has added $782,000 and counting to his campaign fund. By the end of the month, he expects to top $2 million and surge past that once the Nov. 26 filing deadline has passed and petition challenges are done. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ald. Matt Martin (47th) urged the City Council on Thursday to shake off its rubber stamp reputation and become the truly independent legislative body it was meant to be. Last month, Martin boldly introduced a resolution that calls for promoting himself from vice-chair of the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight to chair, replacing now retired-chair Michele Smith (43rd). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $242 million pension pre-payment plan will prevent Chicago’s four cash-strapped pension funds from having to “sell assets in a down market,” but it cannot let Springfield off the hook, the Civic Federation president said Tuesday. Laurence Msall said state law was used to create the police, fire, laborers and municipal employees pension funds and the Il. General Assembly dictates “who the members are, what their contribution levels must be and what benefits” those retired city employees receive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.