It’s Tuesday. Take a moment to start your morning with these stories from WTTW News.
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Chicago voting booths are pictured in a 2023 file photo. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Summer may still be in full swing, but candidates hoping to qualify for the Feb. 23 contest that will determine who will serve as Chicago’s mayor and on the City Council can start collecting signatures on nominating petitions today.
This year’s mayoral and aldermanic contests started earlier than ever before thanks to a little-noticed change in state law that accelerated the contest and may complicate efforts by candidates to run for more than one office at the same time.
Candidates will hit the street to gather thousands of autographs from registered voters a month earlier than aspiring candidates did four years ago, the last time all 50 alderpeople, the mayor, city clerk and city treasurer faced voters.
Also up for grabs will be all 66 seats on the city’s 22 Police District Councils.
More context:
A bill signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2024 moved up the deadline for candidates to qualify for elections by a month in most cases, giving elections officials more time to review petitions and decide challenges.
This upcoming municipal election is the first to have to meet those new rules, forcing candidates to end their summer vacations early to ensure they make it on the ballot. Chicago law continues to give candidates 90 days to qualify for the ballot, requiring the earlier deadline.
Those who want to run for mayor, city clerk or city treasurer must submit no fewer than 12,500 signatures from registered Chicago voters.
Candidates for City Council must submit at least 473 signatures of registered voters from their wards, according to the rules.
Most serious candidates will submit three times that amount, to ensure their petitions can withstand the inevitable challenges filed by their opponents.
Mail-in ballots are scheduled to be sent to voters on Jan. 14, the same day early voting is set to start.
Voters will finally have their say on Feb. 23 — unless no candidate gets 50% of the vote plus one. In that case, the top two candidates head to the runoff on April 6.
The new term for the mayor, city clerk, treasurer, all 50 members of the Chicago City Council and the members of the District Councils starts May 17.
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Michael McMurray appears on “Chicago Tonight” on July 2, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Love them or hate them, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports operate around the clock to keep people and goods moving around the globe. Managing it all, from the runways to the restaurants, is the city’s Department of Aviation.
With this constant movement comes constant challenges. The airports that have served Chicago for decades need to upgrade services for the future, while still meeting the needs of today’s passengers.
Last year, O’Hare broke ground on Concourse D, its first new concourse in more than 30 years. And that’s just one part of the $8.8 billion expansion plan at the airport.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration announced this spring it would cut around 300 daily flights from O’Hare this summer. Still, that airport is expected to break records this holiday weekend, while Midway continues its upward trajectory of passengers.
Chicago’s Department of Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss his first year in the role, O’Hare expansion plans and more.
On his first year in the role:
“I have a background in government — in aviation and procurement — as well as a background in construction in the private sector. So (I bring) a strong understanding of how these fields align, and what good collaboration looks like between the public sector and private sector.”
On O’Hare expansion plans:
“Right now at O’Hare, we have our capital improvement project going on. That’s ORD Next, the $8.8 billion capital improvement program, which consists of two new concourses and a global terminal, which is the centerpiece of the program itself.”
“The construction project launched last summer. We broke ground on our Concourse D this past fall, and that Concourse D is $1.4 billion. It consists of 590,000 square feet, 19 new gates, more comfortable and modern spaces for passengers, greater flexibility across aircraft types.”
On FAA cuts to service:
“First and foremost, the restriction on flights, … they’re temporary, and they only last through October of this year.”
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An ADA-accessible drinking fountain, with bottle filler, is among the type of projects the Chicago Park District is expecting to fund through a pilot participatory budgeting program. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District)
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The Chicago Park District has unveiled its final slate of candidates vying for $500,000 in participatory budgeting funds, and now it’s up to the public to decide where the money will go.
Voting opened Monday and runs through August 27. People can cast a ballot online or in-person at any Park District fieldhouse.
After announcing the participatory program in January, the Park District received more than 1,000 project ideas from community members. Those proposals were then grouped into categories and winnowed to the final four. Whichever category receives the most votes wins. The $500,000 will then be split among approximately nine projects — three each in the district’s north, south and central regions.
The categories are:
Accessibility, public safety and inclusion. Examples include ADA-accessible playground equipment, ramps, lighting and security cameras.
Recreation infrastructure, such as a ball field or sports court rehab.
Permanent fixtures and park amenities, including benches, picnic tables and bike racks.
Nature and beautification, such as trees, pollinator gardens and nature play spaces.
Officials expect to announce awarded projects later this year. Construction should begin in fall and continue into 2027.
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Back in the Day: July 28, 1961 - Illinois Becomes First State to Decriminalize Homosexuality
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On this day 65 years ago, Illinois became the first state in America to decriminalize homosexuality. The move was due to a long-in-the-works overhaul of the Illinois Criminal Code, which hadn’t been drastically changed since 1874. Gov. Otto Kerner signed the new law on July 28, 1961, that, among other reforms, repealed the state’s sodomy law. While the state didn’t legalize homosexual activity, it did decriminalize it among "consenting adults in private." The law would go into
effect on Jan. 1, 1962, and it would serve as the foundation for Illinois criminal law until 2012. Connecticut became the next state to follow suit in 1971, and throughout the ‘70s, 19 other states decriminalized it too. Illinois would recognize same sex civil unions in 2011 and legalize gay marraige in 2014.
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This Week’s Staff Recommendations
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers share their favorite things about Chicago. This week, it’s Matt Masterson, reporter for WTTW News, on what to watch out for with the upcoming Bears season.
Matt Masterson: Yes, yes summer is still fully in season, but fall — and more importantly, football — is approaching quickly. The Chicago Bears training camp begins Wednesday and the season kicks off in less than two months.
With that in mind here’s my recommendations for the top five home games to attend during the Bears’ upcoming 2026 schedule.
5.) Sunday, Sept. 20 vs. Minnesota: The Bears’ home opener comes in Week 2 against the division rival Vikings, a team that struggled for long stretches last season, but closed the year with five–straight wins.
4.) Thursday, Oct. 22 vs. New England: A matchup with the reigning AFC champs on Thursday Night Football. The two teams last faced off in November 2024, with the Patriots extending what would become a 10-game losing streak for the Bears.
3.) Monday, Sept. 28 vs. Philadelphia: The Bears handled the then-reigning Super Bowl champs in a 24-15 victory in Philly last season, leading to Head Coach Ben Johnson ripping off his shirt in a locker room celebration. We’ll see if there’s any post-game theatrics in store this time around on Monday Night Football.
2.) Sunday, Jan. 3 vs. Detroit: A chance for revenge for Ben Johnson against his former team after the Lions swept the Bears last season. Detroit suffered myriad injuries and endured a bit of a down year in 2025, but fully healthy again, the team should once again be in contention for the division title when the teams face off in the Bears’ home finale.
1.) Friday, Dec. 25 vs. Green Bay: C’mon, what else could possibly take the top spot? It’s the Packers. It’s Christmas. It’s … on Netflix (?). Sure, why not. Last year’s home matchup with the cheeseheads in late December delivered the Bears’ play of the regular season with Caleb Williams’ walkoff heave to D.J Moore in overtime to seal a 22-16 comeback victory.
The teams’ playoff rematch two weeks later back at Soldier Field was equally thrilling with Williams and the Bears again storming back to end the Packers’ season in a 31-27 win.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Dec. 25 matchup is the most anticipated game of the year in Chicago.
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What’s the most underrated neighborhood in Chicago?
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