On Background: WBEZ's Politics Podcast

What the heck just happened, Chicago? Lori Lightfoot won the mayor’s race by a gargantuan margin. City Council veterans got the boot. Here’s what Tuesday’s results might mean for the future of the city. Reporting by Becky Vevea, Claudia Morell and Dan Mihalopoulos. Editing by Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull and Becky Vevea. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

Lori Lightfoot was catapulted into the spotlight in the fallout from Laquan McDonald’s murder. But before that, she was hardly a household name in Chicago. WBEZ’s Claudia Morell zooms in on three pivotal moments in the life of the unlikely mayoral frontrunner — moments where she defined her circumstances, and moments where she was defined by them.

There are a lot of ways people describe Toni Preckwinkle. Progressive pioneer. Party boss. Prickly county board president. But the image of her in the race to become Chicago’s next mayor doesn’t tell the entire story of her long career. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea digs into Preckwinkle’s life and just a few of the moments that tell voters something more about the kind of mayor Preckwinkle might be. An update has been made to this podcast.

There have been so many soundbites and headlines about the remaining two candidates for Chicago Mayor. But maybe you find yourself still wondering: Who exactly are these people? This week we’re taking a break, because next week we’ll have two episodes to help you get to know Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle before you cast your vote on Tuesday, April 2. Check back next week Wednesday.

The plans to build a mini-city along the North Branch of the Chicago River have been winding their way through the byzantine City Council process for the last year. The $6 billion project, known as Lincoln Yards, is one that Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to lock in before he leaves office in May. But with the clock ticking, public money on the line, and a heated runoff election just weeks away, the development along the muddy riverfront is leading to a lot of political mudslinging at a pivotal moment in Chicago.

A decade ago, Illinois politicians legalized video gambling in hopes of generated much-needed money for the state. But like so many stories in Illinois, this one didn’t turn out to be that simple. WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and ProPublica Illinois’ Jason Grotto have spent months digging into what happened.

It was an election for the history books. With no incumbent on the ballot and 14 candidates for mayor, just a third of all registered voters in Chicago cast ballots this week and the results are in. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea, Dan Mihalopoulos, Claudia Morell break down what it all means for the city and what’s next.

It’s the final countdown! Chicago’s municipal elections are next Tuesday. Voters will get to pick from 14 candidates to be the next mayor and pick someone to represent their neighborhood too. This week, WBEZ’s team of political reporters will answer your last minute questions and introduce you to a person taking his job as citizen very seriously

Newspapers, unions, and even celebrities are throwing their weight — and in some cases, money — behind their choice for Chicago’s next mayor. This week, the WBEZ politics team digs in to a time-honored political tradition: endorsements. Do they still matter in 2019?

How the heck is a Chicago voter supposed to make sense of a mayor’s race with 14 candidates? Well, you’ve got about two weeks to figure that out. So WBEZ has cooked up a nifty way to help you choose which candidate you most align with, and our reporters answer some of your questions. Deep breath.