Progress Illinois

In late March, the Democratic polling firm Bennett, Petts, & Normington conducted a citywide poll commissioned by the SEIU Illinois State Council (which sponsors this website).  The survey found that Mayor Daley's approval rating has reached historic lows and suggested that a majority of Chicagoans think the city is on the wrong track.  Respondents expressed negative opinions of the City Council as well, but also supported the body providing a better counter-balance to the mayor on issues of city spending.  The poll further found that the progressive brand is alive and well in Chicago.

Progress Illinois was given exclusive access to the full survey and began rolling out the results in a series of blog posts beginning on April 22.  Explore the findings in more detail below:

Daley Approval Rating At 41% (April 22)
Chicagoans Want City Council To Step Up (April 22)
The Public's Spending Priorities (April 23)
Madigan Dominating Quinn In The City (April 23)

The telephone survey was commissioned by the SEIU Illinois State Council and conducted by Bennett, Petts, & Normington from March 23-25, 2009. The sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.3%.

From the moment Rahm Emanuel announced his resignation from Illinois' 5th Congressional District seat, Progress Illinois tracked every contour of the crowded special primary.  We tallied the candidates' fundraising and wrote over 75 posts on the contest, all of which you can find here.  Curious about the differences between the top tier candidates on the issues, we dug through their policy statements and provided readers with this handy guide.  We then went on to give our take on who was the most progressive of the bunch.

In the end, Cook Co. Commissioner (and Progress Illinois guest columnist) Mike Quigley pulled out a convincing victory on March 3.  Watch our recap of the day's events below:

In the week leading up to his removal from office, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich took to the national airwaves and heralded his various accomplishments, from broadening health coverage and early education to limiting tax increases. Ironically, his lasting political legacy might be tied to an issue he all but ignored while in office: campaign finance reform.

For years, activists have called on state leaders to tighten Illinois' notoriously loose campaign finance and ethics laws. Piecemeal solutions haven't ridded out corruption, as evidenced by the scandals embroiling the last two governors. Now, public anger is simmering and, as Pat Quinn takes the reins of government, a group of state lawmakers are promising to unveil measures aimed at reining in the influence of money in state politics. Thanks to Illinois' latest gubernatorial arrest -- the fourth in the last half-century -- 2009 just might be a year of reform in the Land of Lincoln.

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Since our launch in March of last year, we've devoted a lot of coverage to Barack Obama's campaign, election, and transition.  Our base in Chicago has provided a unique perch during this historic year and it's fun to look back as he prepares to take the oath of office.

One of the first posts to ever appear on this site pushed back against the argument (later proved utterly false) that Obama's failure to win Democratic primaries in highly populated states called into question his general election electability.  In May, we followed volunteers from Chicago as they headed to Northwest Indiana to volunteer for his campaign in the weeks before the primary there.  And as the primary season neared its end, we used Nate Silver's regression analysis to show how increases in youth and minority turnout could lift him to victory on Election Day.

From there, we took a close look at the Obama ground game, documenting discussions with deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand and various state directors.  We headed to Denver in late August and watched him accept the party's nomination at Invesco Field.  Finally, we listened as he gave his victory speech on a balmy November night in Grant Park.

It's been quite a journey.  Now it's time to govern.  And god knows there's a lot of work to be done.  Today we wish President Obama all the best.