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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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