Understanding Organization Endorsements
Updated: Feb 15
Many organizations and individuals make endorsements in Chicago's city council races. Looking at these lists can be helpful in understanding where candidates are positioned and which candidates have serious campaigns. Each organization has different processes, but most have committees that interview or provide questionnaires to candidates, then make endorsement decisions based on them. Typically endorsements are only made where there is strong support within the group and willingness to invest resources behind the candidate, so many races will have no endorsement. Groups often are hoping to also be able to influence the candidate once elected and are unlikely to invest resources in candidates with little chance to win, so most serious candidates will have at least some endorsements and most endorsed candidates will have at least a small chance to win.
Below, I've compiled all the endorsements from most of the significant endorsers in the city.

Key
Colors on ward numbers: regions used in AlderMania endorsements
Bold names: Challengers running against incumbent alders
Purple: Clear progressives
Blue: Typically liberal, progressive-ish, I have concerns on some issues
Yellow: Generally more moderate, establishment Democrats, I have various concerns
Orange: Less serious campaigns, or concerns about ability to to do the job
Red: I have significant concerns about right-wing politics, police union endorsements, or corruption
Endorsers
AlderMania: Me!
Girl I Guess!: A progressive voter guide that has gotten wide readership over the last few elections, run by Stephanie Skora
Progressive Organizing Groups
Democratic Socialists of America
Asian American Midwest Progressives
ONE Northside - coalition of northside progressive groups
The People's Lobby
Progressive Union Groups
Chicago Teachers Union
Cook County College Teachers Union
United Working Families - progressive organizing group very connected to Chicago Teachers Union
Liberal Organizing Groups
Sierra Club- environmentally focused
Northside Democracy for America
IVI-IPO - created as a more progressive alternative to Democratic machine
Liberal Union Groups
SEIU 73 and SEIU Healthcare- representing service and healthcare workers
(races where the union remained neutral against an incumbent noted here because these unions are very likely to support incumbent alders)
Establishment Union Groups
Chicago Federation of Labor- coalition of labor unions endorsing based on recommendations of a committee of representatives from multiple unions
Teamsters and LiUNA- representing mostly workers in trades
(races where the union remained neutral against an incumbent noted here because these unions are very likely to support incumbent alders)
Governor J. B. Pritzker- the Illinois governor is making endorsements in many wards, which is unusual for a governor
Get Stuff Done PAC- funded by big business leaders and trade unions, supporting more moderate candidates and opposing socialists in competitive races
Fraternal Order of Police- the union for police officers, likely the most conservative in the city