chicago politics

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a tough sell ahead as she tries to convince at least 26 Chicago aldermen her budget plan — a mix of higher taxes and fees — is the best way to fill a $1.2 billion hole in the city’s budget. Among the changes included in the plan, Lightfoot is proposing new speed camera fines. The…

Five candidates for U.S. Senate in Illinois faced off during a virtual forum Friday. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern has the story.

Here’s a look at nine of the biggest races you should be watching across Illinois in the 2020 general election.

In today’s edition of “Voices for 2020,” we hear from a Chicago veteran who explains what issues matter most to him as the election draws close. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern has the story.

This week’s abrupt depletion of Democratic presidential hopefuls is giving Illinois voters a less-cluttered path through the March 17 primary ballot. That thinning of the ranks, and an unlikely pairing with worldwide health concerns raised from a new virus, should produce a spike in early voting, officials said. Early and grace-period voting was expected to pick up in the 10 days…

NBC 5 Political Reporters Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin take a look back at what happened this week in politics.

NBC 5 Political Reporters Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin take a look back at what happened this week in politics.

NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin recap an eventful week full of politics.

NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin recap an eventful week full of politics.

As President Donald Trump’s lawyers urged the Senate to dismiss what they are terming a “flimsy” impeachment case, Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are preparing to serve as jurors in the president’s trial. At an event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, both senators said they will return to Washington ready to serve as impartial arbiters...

The Senate will begin President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, and Illinois’ senators are prepared to serve as jurors in the case. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern has the story.

NBC 5 Political Reporters Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin take a look back at what happened this week in politics.

As Illinois State Senate President John Cullerton steps down, a heated contest has developed between two senators looking to take over the powerful role. State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, who has represented Illinois’ 4th Senate District since 1998, is currently the Senate’s Majority Leader. She is engaged in a battle with State Sen. Don Harmon, who has represented the 39th District…

The State Senate will elect a new president on Sunday, and NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern spoke with the two leading candidates to replace John Cullerton in the role.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg brought his presidential campaign to Chicago for the first time on Wednesday, and rather than focusing on his Democratic opponents for the party’s nomination, he directed his focus on the record of President Donald Trump. “He has broken promise after promise,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg is running a very non-traditional campaign, electing to...

Billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg was in Chicago Wednesday for a campaign event, and NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern has more on what the former NYC mayor had to say.

More Illinois seniors will qualify for state benefits such as discounted license plates and free transit under new income guidelines that took effect for 2020. The Illinois Department of Aging announced new, higher income limits will be used eligibility for the state’s Benefit Access Program. The program includes discounts on license plates, the Seniors Ride Free Benefit and the Persons…

Last June, as the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up its spring session, first-year Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked whether he would simply kick back and wait for his re-election campaign. After all, he had accomplished virtually everything on which he had campaigned: A balanced budget, a multi-billion-dollar statewide construction program, legalization of marijuana for recreational use, a $15 minimum wage and...

Chicago officials said $11.5 million in city vehicle sticker debt has been forgiven in three months from a program started by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Nearly 11,500 motorists applied for the program which began in October and followed an amnesty program for late penalties on sticker purchases. Lightfoot has touted the debt relief one of several initiatives in her first year…

NBC 5 Political Reporters Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin have all the news you need to know for this week’s Take 5 on Politics.