Updated at 3:58 p.m.

There are 50 wards in the city of Chicago, each with its own mini-mayor (the official title is alderman). Some of these neighborhood fiefdoms cover just a single neighborhood, while others wind through many.

Most of these aldermanic positions are up for grabs in this February’s election, but a handful are especially hot races. That’s in part because they touch on issues deeply important to Chicago right now. 

Issues like the Obama Presidential Center (20th Ward), rapid gentrification (25th Ward), big money in politics (47th Ward), and old guard Chicago politics versus new guard Chicago politics (40th Ward).

WBEZ’s Becky Vevea talks with A.D Quig from The Daily Line about which wards to watch this spring. 

Editing by Cate Cahan and Alex Keefe. Production by Justin Bull.