Edward McClelland

Chicago, Illinois

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Editor at Chicago Magazine

312 editor, @chicagomag. Author of Chorus of the Union. Father of Lark, Birch and Rose. [email protected]

Articles

The TikTok Candidate

1 week ago | chicagomag.com | Edward McClelland

One morning in late April, I brunched with Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old left-wing internet influencer who’s running for Jan Schakowsky’s seat in Congress. Kat ate dry toast with tea, but I ordered a bagel with lox and Abughazaleh’s campaign manager, Sam Weinberg, dug into a pile of potatoes and eggs. “Look at y’all,” Abughazaleh said. “Getting real food.”Abughazaleh’s not from these parts.
The TikTok Candidate

1 week ago | l8r.it | Edward McClelland

One morning in late April, I brunched with Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old left-wing internet influencer who’s running for Jan Schakowsky’s seat in Congress. Kat ate dry toast with tea, but I ordered a bagel with lox and Abughazaleh’s campaign manager, Sam Weinberg, dug into a pile of potatoes and eggs. “Look at y’all,” Abughazaleh said. “Getting real food.”Abughazaleh’s not from these parts.
Is a Pritzker Endorsement Enough?

2 weeks ago | chicagomag.com | Edward McClelland

Juliana Stratton is first out of the gate in the race to succeed Dick Durbin as U.S. senator. She was first to announce, and she already has two of the three biggest endorsements, from Governor JB Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth. Only a nod from Durbin himself would carry more weight. Still, I don’t think she’s going to win. Why not? Because she’s the lieutenant governor, and that job is a graveyard for political ambitions.
How Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas Set Aside Their Rivalry to Save the Nation

2 weeks ago | strategypage.com | Edward McClelland

by Edward Robert McClellandNew York: Pegasus Books, 2024. Pp. 352. Illus, otes, Biblio., index. $32.00. ISBN: 1639366377Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, Joining to Save the UnionMcClelland, who has written extensively on American politics and cultural and social history, explores the relationship between these two giants of mid-nineteenth century American politics and how they put aside their differences in order to preserve the Union.
Hey, Indiana: Hands Off Our People and Bears

1 month ago | chicagomag.com | Edward McClelland

Indiana has an inferiority complex. And for good reason. Fitting for a state known for doing things second best, its main claim to fame is that it’s been home to the second-most vice presidents (six, behind New York’s 11). It has a sort of big city, whose nickname is India-no-place, but the rest of the state is composed of small towns with little opportunity.
Hey, Indiana: Hands Off Our People and Bears

1 month ago | l8r.it | Edward McClelland

Indiana has an inferiority complex. And for good reason. Fitting for a state known for doing things second best, its main claim to fame is that it’s been home to the second-most vice presidents (six, behind New York’s 11). It has a sort of big city, whose nickname is India-no-place, but the rest of the state is composed of small towns with little opportunity.
Chicago's Overlooked Role in Integrating Baseball

2 months ago | chicagomag.com | Edward McClelland

“The most notable of the early teams, the Chicago Blue Stockings, played and often beat white opponents during the 1870s, though they were denied admission to the state’s Senior Amateur Championship tournament,” baseball historian Don Zminda writes in Justice Batted Last: Ernie Banks, Minnie Miñoso, and the Unheralded Players Who Integrated Chicago’s Major League Teams.
Chicago’s Overlooked Role in Integrating Baseball

2 months ago | l8r.it | Edward McClelland

“The most notable of the early teams, the Chicago Blue Stockings, played and often beat white opponents during the 1870s, though they were denied admission to the state’s Senior Amateur Championship tournament,” baseball historian Don Zminda writes in Justice Batted Last: Ernie Banks, Minnie Miñoso, and the Unheralded Players Who Integrated Chicago’s Major League Teams.
The Next Mayor - Chicago Magazine

Feb 10, 2025 | chicagomag.com | Edward McClelland

Has there ever been a Chicago mayor as unpopular as Brandon Johnson? A recent poll had his favorability rating at a cringeworthy 14 percent. As political consultant Tom Bowen delicately puts it: “This mayor is so weakened by his own hand that eight out of 10 Chicagoans would rather get punched in the face than reelect him.”Ouch. Even with the primary two years away, that kind of sentiment has already fueled early jockeying for who might succeed Johnson.
The Next Mayor - Chicago Magazine

Feb 10, 2025 | l8r.it | Edward McClelland

Has there ever been a Chicago mayor as unpopular as Brandon Johnson? A new poll has his favorability rating at a cringeworthy 14 percent. As political consultant Tom Bowen delicately puts it: “This mayor is so weakened by his own hand that eight out of 10 Chicagoans would rather get punched in the face than reelect him.”Ouch. Even with the primary two years away, that kind of sentiment has already fueled early jockeying for who might succeed Johnson.