WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Today’s swearing-in ceremony will usher thirteen new faces on to Chicago city council. Many of them won on the promise of change, including Ameya Pawar of the far north side’s 47th Ward.Pawar wants to help make government smarter, faster, and more inclusive. His idealism won over constituents...

The Chicago City Council will soon have fewer women. Fifteen female aldermen will be sworn in a week from now, down from 19 in the recent council.Leslie Hairston, alderman of Chicago's 5th Ward, said she doesn't think gender played a role in the recent elections.

One of the new faces on City Council this Spring will be Ameya Pawar. After incumbent Eugene Schulter dropped out of the race, Pawar defeated three other candidates to win February’s election.

The biggest economic news in Chicago this week may be what happens in politics. On Tuesday voters in Chicago will choose almost a third of the city council. And for small business owners, that has big ramifications. They know their success can hinge on who their alderman is.

This week, it’s pretty straightforward, and you probably don’t need us to tell you: the big story came early (then, repeated often) with Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral victory Tuesday.