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Clout Diversifies the Illinois Legislature
News & Politics

Clout Diversifies the Illinois Legislature

By Edward McClelland
Appointing replacement legislators takes the decision out of the hands of voters, but it also gives underdogs an advantage they wouldn't have in an expensive special election. Read more
The Handoff That Wasn’t
Interview by Edward McClelland
Mike Simmons made headlines for his upset appointment over Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Lost in the scuttlebutt: Springfield's never seen anything like him before. Read more
Where Illinois Is Losing Population
By Edward McClelland
More people left our state than any other in the 2010s. Part of the problem: Unlike elsewhere, there's been no urban growth to offset rural decline. Read more

Latest
Clout Diversifies the Illinois Legislature
By Edward McClelland
Appointing replacement legislators takes the decision out of the hands of voters, but it also gives underdogs an advantage they wouldn't have in an expensive special election. Read more
How Fred Hampton Gave Way to Obama
By Edward McClelland
Judas and the Black Messiah doesn't just track the betrayal of the Black Panther, but the birth of a coalition that elected Mayor Harold Washington and our 44th President. Read more
The New Power 30
By Deborah D. Douglas
Photography by Sandro
Over the eventful past year, the Chicagoans in this ranking have stepped up in a big way, wielding newfound clout and making change happen. Read more
The Handoff That Wasn’t
Interview by Edward McClelland
Mike Simmons made headlines for his upset appointment over Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Lost in the scuttlebutt: Springfield's never seen anything like him before. Read more
How the Dems Outgrew Mike Madigan
By Edward McClelland
Illustration by Cha Pornea
Ousting him as House speaker is just the beginning of the party's renovation. Next up: ditching him and his outdated tactics from the chairmanship. Read more