Edward Robert McClelland

Our state is an electoral non-factor, but we're a bus ride away from some key swing states.

She's the type of big-government liberal who made the Democrats unpopular in the 1980s. But 30 years later, her brand of leadership is getting a second wind.

The mayoral frontrunner has support from lakefront liberals and law-and-order voters — blocs that traditionally hold each other in disdain.

The proposal would lower the income tax by .05 to .2 percent for most people. But that's still way up from 2016's 3.75 percent.

Preckwinkle is advocating for a rent ceiling; Lightfoot, not so much. In this race, that could be decisive.

While their opponents ginned up their ethnic bases — a Chicago tradition — Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle were running issues-based campaigns.

The political outsider pulled ahead with a Chicago-style ground game (and a healthy distance from the Machine).

So your No. 1 choice is a fringe candidate who'd tank in a runoff. We present: ranked choice voting.

It's still, somehow, anybody's race. We help you pick the candidate that best matches your priorities, be they schools, business, not knowing Ed Burke, or good ol' dibs.