Lakefront liberals is a voting bloc in the city of Chicago that was prominent in the 1970s and 1980s.[1]

Description

Lakefront liberals are described as geographically residing along the lakefront of Chicago in neighborhoods such as Lake View and Lincoln Park.[1] Some included the South Side lakefront neighborhood Hyde Park as another area of Chicago where they occupied.[2]

They are predominantly white professionals.[2] Many of the members of the coalition were born during the baby boom.[2]

Their beliefs included "good government" and racial equality.[1]

Electoral impact

Lakefront liberals were credited with the two-term election of 44th Ward alderman Dick Simpson in the 1970s.[1] Another alderman considered a lakefront liberal was William Singer.[3] Yet another alderman considered one was David Orr, who later became a long-serving Cook County Clerk.[4]

Lakefront liberals were credited with contributing to the elections of Harold Washington in 1983 and 1987.[1] During the 1987 Democratic mayoral primary, both Washington and his challenger, former mayor Jane Byrne, actively pursued the lakefront liberal vote.[5]

Modern status

Some analysts believed that lakefront liberals supported Rahm Emanuel in his 2011 election.[6]

Some writers believed that Lori Lightfoot was the beneficiary of lakefront liberals' support in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election.[7][8] In the initial round the election, Bill Ruthhart of the Chicago Tribune wrote that her, "base proved to be in the liberal lakefront wards on the North Side."[9] In the initial round, Lightfoot saw particularly strong performances in far north lakefront neighborhoods.[10] Lightfoot also carried the endorsement of former lakefront liberals-supported alderman Dick Simpson.[11]

Possible extinction

Lakefront liberals are considered by some political writers to be largely extinct.[1][2] Edward McClell wrote this in a late-2019 Chicago magazine article.[1] McClell argued that lakefront neighborhoods on the North Side of Chicago have become among of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Chicago, and have also become some of the most conservative-leaning neighborhoods.[1] North side lakefront communities were among the most supportive areas for Mayor Rahm Emanuel (who was regarded as an "establishment" politician) in his elections.[1] McClell wrote that it is theorized that much of the former lakefront liberals voting base left the geographic area that the coalition once occupied, after being priced-out, moving to neighborhoods such as Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Avondale, making up part of what is now known as the "Milwaukee Avenue Progressives".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j McClell, Edward (22 November 2019). "How Lakefront Liberals Became Milwaukee Avenue Progressives". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Moser, Whet (14 April 2015). "Were Chicago's Famous 'Lakefront Liberals' Really All that Liberal?". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. ^ Green, Paul M.; Holli, Melvin G. (10 January 2013). "The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition, fourth edition". SIU Press. p. 163. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. ^ Hardy, Thomas Hardy; Davis, Robert; Griffin, Jean Latz; Mills, Marja (21 March 1990). "PHELAN EDGES PINCHAM". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. ^ Malcolm, Andrew H. (24 February 1987). "CHICAGO IS ELECTING CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR TODAY (Published 1987)". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ^ Foreman, Sean D.; Godwin, Marcia L. (2014). Local Politics and Mayoral Elections in 21st Century America: The Keys to City Hall. Routledge. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-317-57893-2. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  7. ^ McClell, Edward (20 March 2019). "Lightfoot's Coalition Was Unthinkable Until Now". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  8. ^ Woelfel, Mariah (30 November 2022). "As Mayor Lori Lightfoot runs again, a look at who's backing her and who's looking elsewhere". WBEZ Chicago. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  9. ^ Ruthhart, Bill (27 February 2019). "Chicago poised to elect first African-American female mayor after Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle advance". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  10. ^ Ramanathan, Kumar (7 March 2019). "Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot's Overlapping Bases". The Chicago Democracy Project. Northwestern University. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Corruption case injects uncertainty into Chicago mayoral race". Fox32chicago.com. WFLD. January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
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