Understanding Organization Endorsements

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