Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast

In the next installment in our series interviewing mayoral candidates, our panel sits with George Cardenas to learn his plan for Chicago.

City lawyers are recommending a $13,75M settlement for two men accused in a grisly double murder. Do two men Kim Foxx believed committed this crime deserve millions? A third alderman has decided to call it quits. How will this affect upcoming City Council elections? Chicago media delivered a blitz of coverage marking the anniversary of Operation Midway Blitz. Was it overdone, media bias or necessary coverage? We'll discuss.

In a lengthy discussion with host Jim Bosco, Comptroller Susana Mendoza sat for an interview on her campaign for mayor and her vision for Chicago.

A proposal to swap the Amtrack yard and build a new stadium for the Chicago White Sox is in the works. What is the impact on Bridgeport? Mayor Johnson announced an $882M budget deficit for FY 2027. Can the mayor pull a rabbit out of the hat to close this yawning deficit without raising property taxes or layoffs?

Another mass shooting took place in Washington Park. Mayor Johnson's response was discouraging. We'll discuss.

The race for president of the Board of Education thinned this week as Jenny Custer dropped out. What are the implications of Custer leaving the contest? Mayor Johnson says he has a solution for Chicago's budget crisis. Johnson, thus far, has only blamed moderate Dem. aldermen.

Another divorce record has been unsealed. In this instance, BOE candidate Victor Henderson is fighting allegations of abuse. We'll discuss.

Today, our host interviews John Kelly, lobbyist and candidate for mayor of Chicago.

A cartoon and criticism of the CTU has inspired the great minds at the union to strike back. The union filed a lawsuit against its arch-nemeses, IPI, Liberty Justice Center, and Austin Berg. Why? WIll this case go anywhere? Tolls will dramatically rise next year, due to Pritzker's tollway board. Is this necessary or another Pritzker tax? 25th Ward alderman, Byron Sigcho Lopez, faced scrutiny this week over the unsealing of his divorce records. The documents show his ex-wife leveled some pretty pervy charges. Should the bombastic alderman resign? We'll discuss.

After a surge of law enforcement on CTA trains, City Hall and the CTA rolled out a new pilot which includes CVIs and mental health experts on trains. The Chicago Bears held a press conference to update Chicago on its plans to build a stadium. Will the Bears leave? Countering their erstwhile friends, the CTU, the SEIU unveiled its endorsements and donations to BOE candidates. What will the SEIU's impact be on the elections?

As expected, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias entered the 2027 mayoral race. Behind him is $22M in campaign funds. What does Alexi bring to the race? A former CPS official has been nabbed in a PPP scandal. A NBC5 investigation has revealed the CTU's coveted "sustainable community school" model is a failure. We'll discuss.

In a wide-ranging interview, Chicago Flips Red co-founder and mayoral candidate Danielle Carter-Walters sits down with Contrarian's panel to discuss her campaign.