A Drop in the Bucket: How Small Donors are Left Behind in Chicago’s 2023 Mayoral Race

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/a-drop-in-the-bucket-how-small-donors-are-left-behind-in-chicagos-2023-mayoral-race/

Who’s funding Chicago’s mayoral race? Not everyday Chicagoans. Our analysis of contributions in this year’s contest shows that small donors – defined as individuals who contribute up to $150* – play a tiny role in most candidates’ fundraising. Meanwhile, megadonations…

Mayoral campaigns focus on independent expenditure groups

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/mayoral-campaigns-focus-on-independent-expenditure-groups/

RFI ED Alisa Kaplan speaks with Crain’s Chicago Business about independent expenditure groups and the effects of mayoral campaigns focus on these groups. “Trying to figure out exactly how to regulate communications in such a way that they don’t send…

Dark money contributions ramp up during the final stretch of Chicago mayoral race

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/dark-money-contributions-ramp-up-during-the-final-stretch-of-chicago-mayoral-race/

As Election Day looms, mayoral candidates exploit loopholes in Chicago’s campaign finance laws, hiding where their money is coming from while they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a comment to the Chicago Tribune, RFI ED Alisa Kaplan noted,…

Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire Answer Highlights

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/mayoral-candidate-questionnaire-answer-highlights/

Below we’ve compiled highlights of the six responding mayoral candidates’ answers to our good government questionnaire. See their full answers and city council candidates’ answers here. Campaign finance reform Fair Elections (public campaign financing) Question: Running a political campaign is…

Wards 26-50

https://www.reformforillinois.org/wards-26-50/

Wards 1-25

https://www.reformforillinois.org/wards-1-25/

Good Governance Candidate Questionnaire Results

https://www.reformforillinois.org/2023-good-governance-candidate-questionnaire-results/

2023 Chicago Mayoral Ranked-Choice Voting Poll

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/2023-chicago-mayoral-ranked-choice-voting-poll/

With nine candidates and polls showing no clear front-runner, the race for Chicago mayor is all but certain to head to a costly, divisive runoff. In the meantime, many voters are struggling with whether to vote for the candidate they…

Secret donors to super PAC supporting Vallas highlight the need for reform

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/do-illinois-regulations-on-independent-expenditures-need-reform/

A new super PAC called the Chicago Leadership Committee spent more than $165K to support Paul Vallas’s campaign for mayor, though its donors remain a mystery. RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with the Chicago Tribune about the need for reform:…

Ald. Matt Martin pushes for a hearing on ranked-choice voting in Chicago

https://www.reformforillinois.org/blog/alderman-matt-martin-pushes-for-a-hearing-on-ranked-choice-voting/

Ald. Matt Martin (47th) introduced a resolution in the Chicago City Council to hold a hearing on ranked-choice voting, and RFI ED Alisa Kaplan was interviewed by Block Club Chicago about RFI’s support for RCV. “Because women, people of color…