There hasn’t been much reporting on the city council races in Chicago’s two dailies. But voters may stand more of a chance of changing Chicago by voting for a progressive city council than by voting for mayor. (Here are my comments on why the city council races matter.) But how do you learn who the progressives are? 

Here are some things you can do. First, find out what ward you are in here and who’s running in your ward here. 

Then, you can find out the voting records of the incumbents here— UIC Political scientist and iconic Chicago independent Dick Simpson and his team publish yearly a record of city council votes, with the percentage of votes “with the mayor.” I’m guessing this is the publication most loathed by the Chicago political machine, because it is so helpful in defining it. If you’re new to your ward and want to know if your alderman is a machine candidate, this is the first place to go. And if a former alderman is running for city treasurer, you can find out if he really was as progressive as he says he is when he was an alderman. (I’ll cite some of that report’s numbers on “rubber stamp” alderman below.)

Then, in addition to the obvious recourse to general web searches, search the Chicago Reader and you’ll find Ben Joravsky’s excellent reporting on local politics, with controversies, contests, and backstories on the aldermen, sometimes going back to the ’80s. Now he and Maya Dukmasova have a cool podcast series, Back Room Deal, looking at the wards and aldermanic contests,

A useful source also is the Daily Line’s “cloutwiki,” with it’s pageson city council members, ward by ward. 

I am not sure who the progressive candidates are, but I know who the progressives think they are. I’ve compiled a list of endorsements by progressive organizations and individuals, including some notes on endorsements from the dark side (e.g., Ald. Ed Burke is endorsing Gery Chico, and one can only laugh at this price Chico is now paying for his years of loyalty to his mentor).

But endorsements have to be regarded with caution. Sometimes they tell us something of importance, sometimes they are misleading. Example: Our two daily newspapers don’t spend a lot of time thinking about some of the city council candidates. The Tribune endorses David Krupa in the 13th ward. Krupa is a DePaul student who got into the newspapers appearing in a photograph wearing a Trump t-shirt and holding a Hillary for Prison poster, and was later in the news accused of abuse by his former girlfriend, who got an order of protection against him. Why would the Tribune endorse him? Because he’s challenging Ald. Marty Quinn, who is a “Madigan lieutenant,” and the Tribune is obsessed with defeating party boss Mike Madigan and support anyone else who does. (So they endorsed Rauner twice!)

Who are these progressives whose endorsements we want to follow? There are a few individuals: If there are iconic progressives in Chicago, they include former County Clerk David Orr and UIC Prof. Dick Simpson, whose progressive bona fides goes back to when they were among the few aldermen waging lonely battles against the machine. Then there is Don Rose, whom Rick Perlstein, in The Nation, called the “legendary political consultant … [who] has been fighting for democracy in the Second City for literally sixty years.”

The progressive movement has an infrastructure, institutional progressive forces — first of all, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which upended Chicago politics and played a key role in Mayor Rahm’s downward trajectory, and the Service Employees’ International Union (SEIU) locals, especially SEIU Healthcare IL (SEIU HC IL). These may be social movement union, but they are going to be “transactional” with their political endorsements. So they endorse Toni Preckwinkle for mayor, arguably progressive but certainly part of the machine, chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. And they endorse city council candidates who have long been machine players, because they vote in the interests of teachers and working people. Then there are the activist community organizations and advocacy groups such as Grassroots Collaborative, the People’s Lobby, United Working Families, Reclaim Chicago, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

[I’ll update the spotty list that follows after the election this Tuesday — there will be many runoffs! I’d like to hear from any readers with comments on their aldermanic races — email paul@consideredsources.com.]

Ward 1. Ald Joe Moreno. Near Northwest Side. Appointed by Mayor Daley. Voted 98% with Rahm last year, endorsed by Tribune and Sun-Times. Grassroots Illinois Action (GIA) endorses Daniel LaSpata, as does progressive state rep. Delia Ramirez, an ally of Chuy Garcia. GIA says: “Since he’s been in office, rents in the 1st ward have been going up 5 times faster than Chicago as a whole. … Black and latinx community members are being displaced. The median household income is up 32% – under Moreno, our neighborhood is gaining millionaires and losing our most valuable resource: diversity.”

Ward 4. Ald. Sophia King. South Side. Voted 98% with Rahm. Endorsed by the CTU, Tribune, Sun-Times, IVI-IPO; member of the City Council Progressive Reform Caucus. Opposed by Ebony Lucas.

Ward 5. Ald. Leslie Hairston. Hyde Park, South Shore, Woodlawn. Voted 100% with Rahm. Member of the Progressive Caucus. Endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, IVI-IPO. She opposed a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Obama Center. Opposed by William Calloway, a community activist who favors the CBA, a property tax freeze and rent control. Also opposed by Gabriel Piemonte, endorsed by the Tribune and Sun-Times.

Ward 6. Ald. Rod Sawyer. South Side. Head of Black Caucus. Voted 100% with Rahm, endorsed by the CTU. Opposed by Deborah Foster-Bonner, endorsed by the Tribune, because she “understands the pension crisis” (translation: would be fine with cutting pension benefits, a Tribune fixation). Also opposed by Richard A. Wooten.

Ward 9. Ald. Anthony Beale. Far South Side. Voted 96% with Rahm. Endorsed by both dailies. Opposed by Cleopatra Watson, endorsed by SEIU HC IL, IVI-IPO. There are two other challengers,.

Ward 10. Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza. Voted 93% with Rahm. Endorsed by Chicago Sun-Times, CTU,m SEIU HC IL. The Tribune attacks her for being part of the “anti-business caucus” and supports Robert Loncar, “a more moderate candidate.” Former teacher, daughter of the late rank-and-file steelworkers leader, Ed Sadlowski.

Ward 11. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson. Voted 98% with Rahm. Grandson of Richard J. Daley, nephew of Richard M. Daley, works in Burke’s law firm. Endorsed by both dailies. Nuff said. Opposed by David Mihalyfy, who identifies himself as a community and labor activist and a home health care worker. He doesn’t mention that he has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School and has taught there and at other schools. No one else had the nerve to run against a Daley. IVI-IPO endorses him.

Ward 12. Ald. George Cardenas. Southwest Side. Voted 98% with Rahm. Opposed by Pete DeMay, DSA member, founding member of 12th Ward IPO, member Neighbors for Environmental Justice. Not endorsed by dailies, which both endorse Jose Rico, as does IVI-IPO.

Ward 13. Ald. Marty Quinn. Voted 98% with Rahm. A powerful machine operator, in House Speaker Mike Madigan’s district. Quinn embarrassed himself with the legacy machine tactic of challenging his opponents petition signatures, even more challenges than there were signatures. But he’s supported by the CTU and Krupa is a Trump supporter whose only recommendation seems to be that he’s challenging the Madigan machine. (See above.)

Ward 14. Ald. Ed Burke. Voted 100% with Rahm. Or you could say Rahm agreed with him on 100% of the votes. Burke is not endorsed by the FBI, but he is by the Fraternal Order of Police. Running against him are two progressives, Tanya Patiño and Jaime Guzman. US Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is supporting her, and she’s endorsed by IVI-IPO, . Guzman was a former aide to Chuy, but is endorsed by the two dailies (maybe because Chuy is endorsing Tanya). Burke is the longest serving alderman and arguably the most corrupt, and was a leader= in the group of racist white aldermen who blocked all of Mayor Harold Washington’s reform efforts in his first term.

Ward 15. Ald. Raymond Lopez. Near Southwest Side. Voted 82% with Rahm. Despite that, a machine player close to Burke, who didn’t support the Welcoming City Ordinance. Endorsed by the two dailies. Challenged by Rafael Yañez, supported by David Orr, CTU, SEIU HC IL, GIA, United Working Families. Three other challengers.

Ward 16. Ald. Toni Foulkes. South Side. Voted 98% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU and Victory Fund (supports LGBTQ candidates) . Tribune endorses Stephanie Coleman for her opposition to taxes; Sun-Times endorses Eddie Johnson III, educator with CPS.

Ward 17. Ald. David Moore. Voted 71% with Rahm. Member of Progressive Reform Caucus. The lone vote opposing the Obama Center, opposes charter schools, endorsed by CTU, IVI-IPO.

Ward 18. Ald. Derrick Curtis. Voted 94% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU, challenged by Chuks Onyezia, endorsed by IVI-IPO.

Ward 19. Ald Matthew O’Shea. Voted 94% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU.

Ward 20. No incumbent. Jeanette Taylor, an activist for a community benefits agreement for the Obama Center. Endorsed by CTU, SEIU HC IL, United Working Families, People’s Lobby. Tribune endorses Maya Hodari, dir. of development at CHA and doesn’t mention Taylor. Kevin Bailey, Ward Committeeman, endorsed by People’s Lobby.

Ward 22. No incumbent. Michael D Rodriguez is endorsed by David Orr, Tribune, CTU, SEIU HC IL, United Working Families.

Ward 23. Ald. Silvana Tabares. Appointed by Rahm to fill vacancy in summer. Endorsed by CTU, IVI-IPO. One challenger.

Ward 25. No incumbent. Pilsen. Ald. Solis vacancy. Byron Sigcho Lopez endorsed by CTU, DSA (member), IVI-IPO. Community activist, Exec. Dir. of Pilsen Alliance, campaign to save 130 Chicago schools slated for closure by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Board of Metropolitan Tenants Organization, rep. on Local School Council at Whittier Elementary. MA in Econ. at UIC, now in Ph.D. program in Urban Ed. Tribune endorses IBM executive Antonio Hernandez, who is against tax increases. Challenger Hilario Dominguez, a teacher at Whitney Young HS who as a student there had led a walkout against school cuts, is supported by People’s Lobby.

Ward 26. Part of Logan Square, Humboldt Park. Ald. Robert Maldonado. Voted 98% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU, Sun-Times, IVI-IPO. Tribune endorsed David Herrera, because Maldonado required affordable housing from developers.

Ward 29. Ald. Chris Taliaferro. Voted 100% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU, Tribune, IVI-IPO. Wants checks on aldermanic prerogative, more Inspector General oversight of big programs.

Ward 30. Avondale, Belmont-Craigin. Ald. Ariel Reboyras. Voted 96% with Rahm. Endorsed by Rahm and Tribune. Was prominent in the corrupt and now disbanded Hispanic Democratic Organization, set up by Mayor Daley as the Hispanic wing of the machine. Challenged by Jessica Washington Gutierrez, endorsed by David Orr, CTU, Northside Democracy for America.

Ward 31. Ald. Milagros Santiago. Voted 96% with Rahm. Endorsed by Tribune, IVI-IPO. Challenged by Colin Bird-Martinez, running as socialist and endorsed by People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago; affordable housing and LGBTQ+ activist.

Ward 32. Lakeview. Ald. Scott Waguespack. Voted with Rahm 73%! My alderman. Chair of Progressive Caucus, the only one who reads the budgets, the sole “no” vote on the last budget. Running unopposed, no one dared. Endorsed anyway by me. Also by CTU.

Ward 33. Albany Park, Irving Park, Avondale. Ald. Deb Mell. Voted 93% with Rahm. Daughter of now-retired machine boss Dick Mell, appointed to fill Mell’s seat by Rahm, and since a target for progressives. First open lesbian member of council, in council’s LGBT caucus. Opposed by DSA member Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, endorsed by CTU, SEIU HC IL, United Working Families, People’s Lobby, Reclaim Chicago, Chicago Democratic Socialists, IVI-IPO. Also running, Katie Sieracki, endorsed by Lori Lightfoot; Tribune, unhappy with Rossana as “far -left” candidate who wants a commuter tax and rent control.

Ward 35. Logan Square, Avondale. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, DSA member. Voted 81% with Rahm. Endorsed by CTU, SEIU HC IL, United Working Families, People’s Lobby, Reclaim Chicago, Chicago Democratic Socialists, Northside Democracy for America. Tribune supports Amanda Yu Dieterich.

Ward 37. Humboldt Park, Austin. Ald. Emma Mitts. Voted 100% with Rahm. Supports the Police Academy, which would be in her ward and is opposed by community groups, and, no friend of labor, she led the charge in the City Council to bring a Walmarts into Austin. Challenged by Tara Stamps, who opposes the cop academy. Stamps is endorsed by Sun-Times, David Orr, CTUm SEIU HC IL. The Tribune endorses Deondre Rutues, who doesn’t support taxes that would drive commerce away like a commuter and financial transaction tax.

Ward 39. No incumbent. Robert Murphy is endorsed by the CTU, David Orr. Tribune endorses Samantha Nugent, former chief of staff for Cook County Dept. of Homeland Security.

Ward 40. Ravenswood, Budlong Woods, Bowmanville. Ald. Patrick O’Connor. Voted 98% with Rahm. Appointed by Rahm to chair Finance Committee after Burke was forced to resign. Powerful, long-serving alderman, was part of the racist City Council faction opposing Mayor Harold Washington. Targeted by progressives. Challenged by Dianne Daleiden, endorsed by David Orr, CTU, IVI-IPO, Northside Democracy for America. Also running, Andre Vasquez, DSA member, worked on Sanders campaign, an artist and rapper. Endorsed by People’s Lobby, Reclaim Chicago. DSA is endorsing Ugo Okere, former chair of youth organization Fuerza del Sol, student activist at Loyola.

Ward 41. Far Northwest Side: O’Hare, Edison Park, Forest Glen. Ald. Anthony Napolitano. Voted with Rahm 84% of the time, so he’s an independent but not a progressive one. A former cop, an actual Republican in the City Council, in a notoriously conservative ward with a large, white and police and fire population, he opposes police reform and affordable housing. He blocked a 300 unit building in his ward that would have included 30 units of affordable housing and intervened in John Arena’s ward to attack him for his efforts to bring in affordable units. He also opposed Chicago’s municipal ID card, which would aid undocumented immigrants. Tim Heneghan, endorsed by both dailies, CTU, IVI-IPO but not SEIU. Maya Dukmasova’s reporting suggests that progressives are supporting Heneghan because he opposes Napolitano’s “Trump-like rhetoric,” openly segregationist positions, and racist Facebook pages administered by his chief of staff.

Ward 42. Loop. Ald. Brendan Reilly. Uncontested.

Ward 43. Lincoln Park. Ald. Michelle Smith. Voted 90% with Rahm. Endorsed by Rahm, Cullerton, US Rep Mike Quigley, Ald. Anne Williams. Sun-Times endorses Derek Lindblom, who was “Rahm’s lead negotiator on getting unions to buy into pension reforms” (translation: pension theft), later ruled unconstitutional by Illinois Supreme Court, and opposes a LaSalle St Tax.

Ward 44. Lakeview, Wrigleyville. Ald. Thomas Tunney. Voted 96% with Rahm. First openly gay alderman, appointed by Mayor Daley. Endorsed by progressive US Rep Jan Schakowsky, CTU, Sun-
Times. Tunney not noted for independence, but he wages noble resistance to billionaire Tom Ricketts, owner of Cubs, who resents any restriction on his right to build as far as he likes into the neighborhood. Ricketts wants him out, and the Rickettses have “flooded the ward with more than $100,000 in dark money campaign spending” (Sun-Times) and are thought to have recruited and supported one of the challengers into the race (he denies they support him).

Ward 45. Jefferson Park. Ald. John Arena. Voted 85% with Rahm. Founding member Progressive Caucus, endorse by CTU, SEIU HC IL. Stood up for affordable housing in his ward against NIMBY and racist opposition. Despite close votes in past elections, motivated by opposition to affordable housing, he remained steadfast on that issue. “Enthusiastic” dorsed by Sun-Times, in particular for his commitment to affordable housing.

Ward 46. Uptown, Lakeview. Ald. James Cappleman. Voted 93% with Rahm. Removed tent cities of homeless from Wilson and Lawrence viaducts. Openly gay former priest. Salient ward issue: affordable housing. Challenged by Erika Wozniak Francis, a teacher supported by US Rep Chuy Garcia, David Orr, state rep Will Guzzardi, County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, CTU, SEIU HC IL. Her platform is a fully developed progressive program with detailed, specific commitments. Sun-Times endorses Marianne Lalonde, a scientific research consultant, President of Lakeside Area Neighborhood Association, board of Sarah’s Circle (women’s homeless shelter).

Ward 47. Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, North Center. No incumbent. Matt Martin, civil rights attorney in Attorney General’s office, endorsed by Chicago Tribune, former Attorney General Lisa Madigan, David Orr, SEIU 73, SEIU HC IL, IVI-IPO, United Working Families, People’s Lobby, Our Revolution Chicago, One People’s Campaign, Northside Democracy for America. A number of other candidates, Sun-Times endorsing Michael Negron, Rahm’s policy director, and was in Obama administration. Matt Martin’s Positions: progressive income tax, scale back property taxes, require 25% affordable housing in new developments and give more vouchers to middle- and low- income families. Elected school board, fully fund schools (progressive income tax, tax large downtown real estate reamorize pension debt).

Ward 48. Far North Side, Edgewater, Andersonville, Uptown. Ald. Harry Osterman. Endorsed by Sun-Times. Supports hybrid school board (partly elected, partly mayor-appointed), but CTU endorses him anyway.

Ward 49. Rogers Park. Ald. Joe Moore. Voted with Rahm 98%. Once an independent, even founder of the Independent Caucus (which because the Progressive Caucus). He supported the Big Box Ordinance for a living wage in big box stores, pass it, then it was vetoed by Mayor Daley. He was coopted by Rahm in 2011, became his floor leader. Long ago he used to come to the antiwar demonstrations and take the mic, now progressives want to cut off his sound. Challenged by Maria Hadden, a Black Lives Matter activist on the board of Black Youth Movement 100. Endorsed by David Orr, CTU, SEIU HC IL, United Working Families, People’s Lobby, Reclaim Chicago, Northside Democracy for America, Victory Fund.

Ward 50. West Rogers Park. Ald. Debra L. Silverstein. Voted 96% with Rahm, endorsed by Sun-Times. Challenged by Andrew Rowlas, endorsed by Northside Democracy for America.