How mayor candidates answered Tribune questions – Chicago Tribune newstrendslive

Hello, Chicago.

We’re in the time of year often called silly season.

Those are the months when political candidates try to make you fall in love with them while scaring you about their opponents. Election season for politicians is a seemingly endless series of amusing and horrifying first dates that only ends on Election Day when the voters cast their ballots.

While the theatrics of politics are often silly or worse, the issues and how they affect Chicagoans are important. Our job at the Tribune is to hold politicians accountable for what they’ve done and keep you informed about your city and options as you get ready for the Feb. 28 election.

Being your eyes and ears on Chicago government is a great honor and privilege for me and my City Hall teammates, Alice Yin and A.D. Quig. It’s also a wild ride because anything can happen in Chicago politics and usually does.

We know you feel overwhelmed sometimes by the amount of information that comes your way. Our goal is to give you what you need to know about the city. For years, we have been paying attention to the most important issues — your safety, schools, the daily commute. And we also try to take you behind the scenes to understand who your leaders are and what drives them.

Sometimes it’s a “West Wing”-style devotion to public service. More often than anyone would care to admit, it’s “Veep”-like slapstick.

As we head into the election, I hope you’ll read our stories and ask questions. We’re here for the good, the bad and the ugly.

— Gregory Pratt

Here’s what we’re watching and what you need to know. If you were forwarded this email, click here to get Daywatch and the Afternoon Briefing delivered to your inbox every weekday. Sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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To inform voters, the Tribune politics team posed a series of questions to the candidates running for mayor of Chicago. Here’s what they said.

Use our map and searchable listings to find where to vote in Chicago before the election.

Whoever becomes mayor for the next four years will face enormous challenges and a daunting transition from a school board selected by City Hall to one elected by voters.

An often-combative Mayor Lori Lightfoot once again took the offensive against her leading challengers, repeatedly interrupting rival candidates and even the moderator during a forum Thursday as she defended her mayoral record.

The newest ward in Chicago — encompassing a good portion of the Loop, as well as Greektown, Fulton Market and a large swath of the Near West Side — is primed to become one of the most influential as it stands ready to become the center of the next wave of development.