In this episode of Chicago State of Mind, we sit down with Illinois State Senator Willie Preston for a candid conversation about identity, service, and political courage. From growing up in Englewood amid poverty, gangs, and the crack era to finding his way through the trades and Chicago State University, Preston traces the people who saved his life path: his father, his grandmother, his wife Brittany, and mentors who opened doors into politics. He talks about raising six children, what “Chicago pride” really means at the neighborhood level, and why he’s committed to rebuilding hollowed-out communities through schools, small businesses, and safer streets.

Preston also walks us through his legislative record—chairing the Senate Black Caucus, taking on the food industry with the Illinois Food Safety Act, and building unlikely bipartisan coalitions in a hyper-polarized moment. As he mounts a campaign for Congress in the 2nd District, he reflects on representation, accountability, and what it will take to bridge the deep chasm in national politics while still fighting unapologetically for Black communities and working families.

In this episode of Chicago State of Mind on the CNW Network, host Cheryl Mainor sits down with Illinois State Representative La Shawn K. Ford, candidate for Congress in the 7th District, to talk about what it really means to fight for overlooked communities. Ford traces his journey from CPS teacher and union member on Chicago’s West Side to nearly 20 years in Springfield, explaining how school inequities, the crack era, and the 1994 crime bill pushed him into public service. He breaks down his signature work on criminal record sealing, HIV testing reform, and cannabis social equity licensing—and why he believes those laws can help end “permanent punishment” and build generational wealth in Black and Brown neighborhoods. The conversation then turns to today’s healthcare crisis, from Medicare Advantage and Medicaid redeterminations to skyrocketing premiums and deductibles, and why Ford says the current system leaves seniors, small business owners, and working families exposed. If you care about justice, health, and economic dignity on Chicago’s West Side and beyond, this episode is essential listening.

In this powerful episode of CNW, host Cheryl Mainor sits down with attorney and former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, now a candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District, to talk faith, resilience, and what it takes to lead when communities feel left behind. From growing up in Englewood on food stamps to becoming an attorney and policymaker, Boykin shares the personal story behind his public life, including near academic failure, the mentors who pulled him through law school, and why he refuses to quit on Chicago’s West and South Sides. He lays out an urgent agenda to reverse cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, expand Obamacare subsidies, tackle life expectancy and wealth gaps, bring grocery stores and real economic development to long‑ignored neighborhoods, and connect downtown’s prosperity with entrepreneurs in communities like Austin, Lawndale, and Maywood. If you care about equity, opportunity, and what real leadership should sound like in the era of Project 2025 and President Trump, this conversation is a must‑listen.

Chicago State of Mind is a conversation-driven podcast from the CNW Network that goes beyond the headlines to explore the stories, values, and inner motivations of the people shaping Chicago.  Hosted by Chicago News Weekly, the show features honest, reflective conversations with leaders and everyday Chicagoans about family, faith, service, resilience, and what it really means to call this city home.

In the premiere episode of Chicago State of Mind, host Cheryl Mainor sits down with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton—not just as an elected official, but as a Chicagoan, daughter, wife, and mother. Together, they talk about growing up on the South Side, the lessons of service and community she learned from her parents, and what it really looks like to balance public life with family, faith, and motherhood. Stratton reflects on making history as the first Black Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, the power of representation, and how Chicago’s unique mix of grit, joy, and hope shapes her leadership and her voice.