Selected Media Appearances
Frank Calabrese is a Chicago-based political consultant, data analyst, and GIS mapping expert whose analysis of elections, redistricting, and political strategy has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, POLITICO, The Guardian and other major news organizations.
Television Appearances
WGN TV “The Point” (July 17, 2026) – Campaign cash pours into Chicago's top political contests — Discussed newly released campaign finance reports, the race for governor, Chicago's school board elections, and the upcoming 2027 mayoral contest with Tahman Bradley.
WGN TV “The Point” (April 27, 2026) — Political analyst on early polling for the 2027 mayoral race.
FOX 32 Chicago “Chicago Report” (March 13, 2026) — Election preview discussion with Paris Schutz, Pat Brady, and Rick Pearson.
ABC7 Chicago News (March 6, 2026) "Super PACs funding many political ads ahead of Illinois primary election" — Analyzed Super PAC spending and outside money in Illinois congressional primaries, including AIPAC’s significant investments.
WGN TV "The Point" (February 2, 2026) "Fundraising battle heats up in Illinois Democratic primaries" — Political analyst on the Democratic U.S. Senate primary race and the role of money in campaigns.
FOX 32 Chicago (November 6, 2024) - “Mixed results for CTU as Chicagoans vote for first elected school board” — Appeared as a veteran Chicago political consultant analyzing why CTU-backed candidates won only four of ten elected school board districts despite more than $2 million in spending, attributing several losses to backlash against Mayor Brandon Johnson.
WGN TV Evening News (November 6, 2024) — Research and public policy analyst commenting on Chicago school board election results and voter sentiment.
WGN TV Evening News (April 5, 2023) “Breaking Down Chicago’s Runoff Election” — Appeared as a research and public policy analyst, providing a comprehensive breakdown of Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s victory, including ward-level voting patterns and the broader implications for Chicago.
FOX 32 Chicago (April 3, 2023) “Chicago mayoral election: How the vote breakdown could foretell who wins” — Analyzed election-night benchmarks in the Chicago mayoral runoff, explaining the lead Paul Vallas would need to withstand Brandon Johnson’s advantage in late-arriving mail ballots and identifying the 32nd and 44th wards as early indicators of the outcome.
WGN TV Evening News (March 2, 2023) “Chicago Election Breakdown” — On-air elections analysis identifying early trends in aldermanic races and projecting outcomes for subsequent runoffs.
FOX 32 Chicago (March 1, 2023) – “Chicago election results: Map shows breakdown of votes for mayor by neighborhood” — Credited with a precinct-level map using Chicago Board of Elections data to show how Chicago voted for mayor.
ABC7 Chicago (February 25, 2023) "Chicago mayoral election 2023: Latino communities push to get out the vote as turnout lags behind" — Mapped early voter turnout for the Chicago mayoral election. Noted that while turnout lagged in many Latino and Black wards, approximately one-third of the projected vote was already in, with particularly strong participation in the 19th Ward (Beverly and Mount Greenwood) and on the northwest side near O’Hare Airport.
ABC7 Chicago (October 30, 2021) “Incumbent Dem. Reps. Casten, Newman to face off after Illinois congressional district map redrawn” — Provided district-composition analysis showing how the redrawn 6th Congressional District affected the Casten-Newman matchup.
WTTW / PBS Chicago (October 12, 2021) "Congressional Remap Underway, But Little Participation at Public Hearings." — Appeared as a maps and redistricting consultant, offering recommendations for creating additional Latino-majority districts during Illinois’ congressional redistricting process.
WCIA 3 - CBS Central Illinois Affiliate "Capitol Connection" (September 9, 2021) "Illinois Democrats drew maps to favor partisan leverage over majority-Latino districts, analyst says" — Provided an in-depth, precinct-level breakdown of the Illinois General Assembly’s redistricting process, addressing the displacement of Latino voters in Chicago and the strategic gerrymandering efforts by the Democratic supermajority.
WQAD 8 - ABC Quad Cities Affiliate (September 2, 2021) "New Illinois legislative maps face criticism" — Interviewed as a maps expert and political consultant regarding the state legislative redistricting process. Provided analysis on how the newly drawn House and Senate district maps aimed to consolidate Democratic power and protect African-American representation in Chicago amid population losses.
WTTW / PBS Chicago News (September 1, 2021) “Illinois Democrats Advance New Legislative Districts With Little Public Review.” — Explained the technical equal-population standard behind the revised map and why the new districts were numerically closer to the target population.
National Media
CBS News (March 17, 2026) "Illinois Senate primary race is test of Pritzker's sway, Democrats' views of ICE, outside spending" — Quoted on how Juliana Stratton’s performance in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary would reflect on Gov. JB Pritzker’s political influence and possible 2028 ambitions.
The Independent (March 16, 2026) “Forget Trump and the Iran War – this state’s primaries on Tuesday will be a referendum on Democratic support for Israel” — Credited with compiling campaign-finance data showing that AIPAC-affiliated Elect Chicago Women spent nearly $4.4 million supporting Laura Fine and approximately $1.4 million opposing Daniel Biss in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
The Guardian (March 16, 2026) "AIPAC: toxicity of pro-Israel Super Pac’s money to be tested in US primaries." — Analyzed the impact of AIPAC-backed Super PAC attack ads in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District primary.
The 19th News (March 13, 2026) "In Illinois, a primary could mean a new record number of Black women in the Senate." — Provided strategic insight on the competitive Illinois U.S. Senate primary between Juliana Stratton and Robin Kelly.
Jewish Insider (March 3, 2026) – “Iran war complicates Democratic primaries as Election Day approaches” — Quoted as a Chicago political strategist analyzing how the Iran conflict was reshaping the crowded Illinois 9th Congressional District Democratic primary, including the dynamics between Laura Fine, Daniel Biss, and Kat Abughazaleh.
POLITICO (February 25, 2026) "AIPAC’s cash complicates crowded Illinois primaries" — Discussed the strategic dynamics of the crowded 9th Congressional District Democratic primary, noting that AIPAC-backed attack ads labeling Daniel Biss a "phony or fake progressive" carried the risk of backfiring and shifting progressive and anti-AIPAC voters toward challenger Kat Abughazaleh.
Jewish Insider (February 22, 2026) "Daniel Biss facing negative ad blitz from outside group with reported ties to AIPAC" — Analyzed the strategic risk that AIPAC-linked negative ads against Daniel Biss in the Illinois 9th Congressional District primary could backfire by driving progressive voters toward far-left challenger Kat Abughazaleh.
Jewish Insider (February 3, 2026) "Pro-Israel moderates hold momentum in several Chicago-area House races." — Quoted on pro-Israel candidates and momentum in several Chicago-area U.S. House Democratic primaries.
Jewish Insider (October 1, 2025) “Wave of anti-Israel candidates hits Chicago’s Democratic congressional primaries” — Quoted extensively on the open 2026 Chicago-area congressional primaries, including the 2nd and 7th Districts.
Jewish Insider (May 20, 2025) "Illinois Senate primary likely a toss-up, experts say, after new polling" — Assessed frontrunners and overall dynamics in the Illinois Democratic U.S. Senate primary, identifying Juliana Stratton and Raja Krishnamoorthi as likely top contenders.
Jewish Insider (January 17, 2024) "Rep. Danny Davis faces fractured primary field" — Extensively quoted providing demographic analysis for the 7th Congressional District primary. Outlined how Rep. Danny Davis's universal name recognition anchored the West Side, and mapped how challengers would fracture the vote downtown and in more affluent, non-Black precincts.
The Huffington Post (April 10, 2023) “How Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson Sold Chicago On ‘Investing In People’" — Explained that Brandon Johnson’s disciplined coalition-building and campaign message won the mayoral election, rather than Paul Vallas merely losing it through strategic mistakes.
The American Prospect (April 3, 2023) “Chicago’s Latino Community Is Up for Grabs" — Provided political and demographic analysis of Latino voting patterns in the 2023 Chicago mayoral runoff and how Southwest Side Latino voters could shape the contest.
The Christian Science Monitor (March 31, 2023) “Democrats split over education in Chicago mayoral runoff” — Quoted as an independent Chicago political analyst on the political stakes of the 2023 mayoral runoff, especially the power struggle over public education.
POLITICO (March 7, 2023) "Nearly half of Chicago voters tapped a loser. Now they can sway the mayor’s race." — Extensive quotes on racial voting patterns, ward coalitions, and Latino voter dynamics in the Chicago mayoral runoff. “Race is one of the most definitive predictors in how an area votes in Chicago.”
The Wall Street Journal (February 10, 2023) “Is It Too Late to Save Chicago From Progressive Misrule?” — Provided campaign-finance figures comparing advertising expenditures by Brandon Johnson, Lori Lightfoot, Jesús “Chuy” García, and other candidates in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election.
The American Prospect (February 10, 2023) "How Crypto Cash Could Determine Chicago's Next Mayor" — Analyzed the impact of negative campaign spending during the 2023 mayoral race and provided insight into the shifting preferences of Latino voters in several city wards.
POLITICO (April 11, 2022) Bobby Rush wants to pick who gets his seat. 19 people disagree. — Analyzed the redesigned 1st Congressional District, explaining how the map diluted rural Republican votes and projecting that approximately 75 percent of Democratic primary votes would come from Chicago and 85 percent from Cook County.
The Wall Street Journal (February 16, 2022) “As Black Exodus Continues in Chicago, Latino Caucus Seeks Stronger Voice” — Featured in coverage of Chicago’s ward remap fight and the growing political influence of Latino voters after the 2020 Census.
POLITICO Magazine (December 7, 2021) — "Black People Are Leaving Chicago en Masse. It’s Changing the City’s Power Politics." — Quoted on demographic shifts in West Englewood (Latino population growth replacing Black residents), parallel changes in West Humboldt Park and Austin, and why the Latino Caucus map better reflected current Chicago demographics versus the Black Caucus proposal.
Jewish Insider (October 25, 2021) “Illinois redistricting sets up primary faceoff between Newman and Casten” — Calculated how much of Reps. Marie Newman’s and Sean Casten’s constituencies were placed in the proposed 6th Congressional District and explained why the new map structurally favored Casten.
Local & Regional Media
The Daily Northwestern (April 1, 2026) "Amiwala, Huynh committed to exiting IL-09 primary, records show" — Provided commentary on the progressive voter base in Chicago and candidate viability within the 9th Congressional District primary.
The Daily Northwestern (March 17, 2026) "The Open Seat: What journalists and analysts are watching across the 9th District on primary Election Day." — Broke down the geographic battle for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District and identified key bellwether areas.
Block Club Chicago (March 17, 2026) "As Chuy García Retires, Independents See Opportunity For New Era Of Latino Leadership" — Analyzed the open congressional seat dynamics following Chuy García’s retirement, assessing Democratic nominee Patty García’s strong position and the challenges independent candidates would face in splitting the vote.
Axios Chicago (March 4, 2026) "AIPAC, crypto and AI spend big in Illinois house races" — Credited with compiling and crunching Federal Election Commission data on independent expenditures, revealing that super PACs aligned with AIPAC, cryptocurrency interests, and artificial intelligence advocates had poured more than $18 million into four contested Illinois congressional primaries in a single month.
Crain’s Chicago Business (February 17, 2026) Greg Hinz |"Huge super-PAC money taking control of Chicago congressional races." — Credited by veteran political reporter Greg Hinz for compiling and analyzing Federal Election Commission data on Super PAC expenditures in Illinois congressional races.
The Daily Northwestern (February 6, 2026) "New super PAC, reportedly tied to AIPAC, spent more than $570K to boost Fine, filings show." — Spoke on the democratic implications of dark money and unbalanced campaign spending by AIPAC-aligned Super PACs. “It’s not great for transparency or democracy, per se, that we’re dealing with this entity that is likely going to spend more money than all these candidates combined.”
Injustice Watch (March 12, 2024) "In a hyper-local judicial race, questions about what counts as community representation" — Analyzed the changing demographics and gentrification of the 6th and 14th judicial subcircuits and how they shifted the original 1991 racial and ethnic majorities of the districts.
The Daily Line (May 11, 2023) "Chicago residents blast proposed school board maps for leaving out Hispanic community" — Interviewed as a mapping and political consultant regarding the drafting of Chicago's first elected school board maps. Explained the geographic difficulty of creating Latino-majority districts due to integration patterns compared to more highly segregated demographic areas.
Block Club Chicago (April 5, 2023) “How Brandon Johnson Won Chicago’s Mayoral Race, Mapped” — Supplied precinct-level GIS maps demonstrating how Johnson consolidated the progressive base and capitalized on high lakefront turnout to secure the mayoral runoff victory.
Chicago Sun-Times (April 4, 2023) “Chicago Runoff Election 2023: Brandon Johnson wins mayor’s race” — Provided real-time election-day analysis of ward turnout, voter age, Paul Vallas’ strength among in-person voters, and Brandon Johnson’s expected advantage among outstanding mail ballots.
Block Club Chicago (April 4, 2023) "Chicago Mayor’s Race Would Come Down To A Coin Flip If Johnson, Vallas Tie" — Analyzed the dynamics of the Chicago mayoral runoff between Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas. Observed that in the event of a dead heat, the race would likely favor Johnson because of his stronger performance with mail-in voters in the February 28 election.
Illinois Times (October 6, 2022) “Sandy Hamilton and Doris Turner turn to attack ads” — Explained how redistricting added urban voters to Illinois’ 48th Senate District to improve Democratic prospects and assessed the Doris Turner-Sandy Hamilton race as a toss-up.
Chicago Tribune / Aurora Beacon-News (August 8, 2022) “Aurora moves closer to new ward map” — Quoted as the city’s redistricting consultant on the practical effects of the Census undercount and population losses on the near East Side, noting that central East Side wards had to expand eastward and that “the census wasn’t very kind to Aurora.”
Chicago Tribune / Aurora Beacon-News (August 3, 2022) "Aurora hears comments on proposed redistricting maps for city’s wards" — Discussed census-driven population adjustments across Aurora's wards and the importance of preserving Latino representation in the final map.
Chicago Tribune / Aurora Beacon-News (August 1, 2022) “Aurora starts public process for redistricting” — Discussed 2020 Census population losses in central/eastern wards, the need for central wards to absorb population, maintaining minority representation, and drawing boundaries understandable to everyday people while respecting precinct and county lines.
Chicago Sun-Times (July 14, 2022) “Will Burke seek encore for 53-year Council run — or bow out before voters give indicted pol the hook?” — Explained how the redesigned 14th Ward removed several of Ed Burke’s strongest Garfield Ridge precincts and substantially increased the ward’s Latino population, creating more difficult electoral terrain for the longtime incumbent.
State Journal-Register (June 24, 2022) "Former President Donald Trump will stump for Mary Miller in Mendon" — Quoted on the boost provided by former President Trump’s in-person campaign visit and endorsement for Mary Miller’s congressional primary, the effectiveness of Trump-style politics, and shifts in Illinois Republican voter behavior and fundraising.
Chicago Sun-Times (May 16, 2022) “City Council overwhelmingly OKs compromise ward map” — Analyzed Chicago’s compromise ward map.
Chicago Sun-Times (April 27, 2022) “Newest City Council member, Ald. Nicole Lee, chooses sides in ward remap battle” — Compared competing Asian-majority 11th Ward designs and explained the Coalition Map’s decision to preserve McKinley Park while incorporating Asian population in the South Loop.
Discussed the demographic implications and strategic layout of the proposed "Coalition Map" during the Chicago City Council ward redistricting process.
Illinois Answers Project (February 3, 2022) “Concerns – and Campaign Plans – Mount As Chicago Remap Battle Drags On” — Published and credited the Coalition Map and the Census figures supporting the creation of 15 majority-Latino Chicago wards.
Injustice Watch (January 12, 2022) "Illinois legislature creates five new judicial subcircuits in Cook County to further diversify the bench." — Cited for data analysis presented to the Illinois state legislature during the Cook County judicial subcircuit remap. Highlighted demographic research showing how gentrification had displaced the Latinx voting base in the 6th subcircuit on Chicago's northwest side.
St. Louis Public Radio (November 2, 2021) “The Metro East won’t lose any U.S. House members under Illinois’ new maps” — Appeared as a “political consultant and map-making expert,” analyzing the pairing of Republican Reps. Mary Miller and Mike Bost, the political pressure on Rep. Rodney Davis, and Democrats’ prospects of winning a 14-3 congressional delegation.
St. Louis Public Radio (October 22, 2021) "Illinois’ proposed congressional map would boost Democrats" — Used 2018 and 2020 statewide election turnout data to analyze the partisan lean and risks of the proposed Illinois congressional redistricting map (including projected Democratic seat counts and overextension concerns).
The Pantagraph (September 8, 2021) “What an Illinois redistricting expert thinks of Democrats’ new maps” — Interview analyzing Illinois Democrats’ new legislative maps and the redistricting fight.
Crain’s Chicago Business (August 20, 2021) “Fascinating development on South Side lakefront” — Provided 2020 Census community-area demographic data showing population growth along Chicago’s South Side lakefront, especially Bronzeville through Woodlawn, and contextualized signs of Black middle-class growth.
Crain’s Chicago Business (August 19, 2021) Greg Hinz |"City remap war begins" — Demographer and political consultant whose number-crunching and mapping analysis for the Latino Caucus informed coverage of Chicago’s ward remap battle and demographic shifts.
Chicago Sun-Times (August 13, 2021) Rich Miller |“U.S. Census let people define who they really are, putting the count a little up for grabs” — Cited by Rich Miller for comparison of ACS and 2020 Census data, including findings that ACS-based figures undercounted Hispanic-origin residents in Chicago and Cook County, with implications for redistricting and representation claims.
The Daily Line (May 30, 2021) "New Board of Review boundaries reshuffle Latino voters, lock in 3 safe Dem districts." — Provided the demographic and geographic analysis mapping out the newly drawn Cook County Board of Review districts, breaking down how the redistricting locked Republicans out of power by absorbing shifting suburban demographics.
Chicago Sun-Times (May 24, 2021) "House Republicans call on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto Dems’ legislative maps if they pass the Legislature." — Analyzed the proposed Illinois legislative maps during the redistricting process. Quoted as the map “is designed to cause absolute chaos within the Republican caucus — it’s designed to force retirements and cause primaries,” highlighting the partisan strategy behind the Democratic-drawn districts.
Hyde Park Herald (April 6, 2021) "Redistricting update: estimates show population gain in 4th Ward, loss in 20th" — Provided and analyzed demographic data from the 2010 Census and 2018 American Community Survey estimates, detailing population gains in the 4th and 3rd Wards and sharp losses in the 20th Ward, plus impacts on related state legislative districts.
Injustice Watch (February 27, 2020) "Five things to know about this year's bar association ratings" — Analyzed the electoral impact of negative bar association ratings and demographic dynamics in a contested judicial subcircuit race.
Injustice Watch (December 3, 2019) "Diversity at Stake in Competitive Illinois Supreme Court Race." — Quoted as a judicial campaign consultant detailing minority voter turnout patterns in Cook County, specifically analyzing the participation percentage gaps between African-American and Hispanic voting blocs in judicial elections.
DNAinfo Chicago (February 25, 2015) "Meet Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, the 26-Year-Old Who Stormed Onto City Council" — Provided commentary on Carlos Ramirez-Rosa's historic 35th Ward aldermanic victory over an incumbent and discussed his early trajectory as a leading progressive candidate.
Newsblogs, Newsletters and Video
The Last Ward (May 24, 2026) "Chicago teachers reject union’s $8.5M dues hike in historic vote" — Highlighted the major political implications of Chicago Teachers Union members rejecting a proposed $8.5 million dues increase for funding school board candidates, re-electing Mayor Brandon Johnson, and supporting allied aldermen.
Ray Hanania on Politics (May 7, 2026) — Guest political consultant discussing political accountability and the high standards required of public officials.
POLITICO Illinois Playbook (March 12, 2026) – “Super PAC spending: ‘Completely nuts’” — Compiled Federal Election Commission data and documentation tracking more than $35 million in super PAC independent expenditures across Illinois Democratic primaries.
POLITICO Illinois Playbook (March 2, 2026) "How war could reshape the primaries" — Compiled and presented detailed Federal Election Commission data and analysis showing the scale of super PAC spending (including AIPAC-aligned groups) across key Illinois congressional primaries.
Capitol Fax (February 27, 2026) — Highlighted analysis tracking a cryptocurrency-backed Super PAC's entry and strategic ad spending in the Illinois Senate Democratic primary.
The Crisis Cast (April 7, 2023) “Chicago’s Next Mayor - What REALLY Happened?” — Joined Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin with John Kass, Mary Ann Ahern, and Rod McCulloch for a post-election discussion on Brandon Johnson’s win, polling, turnout, campaign ground games, and the future of City Hall.
Breaking Points (April 6, 2023) "How Chicago Leftists BEAT a Pro Cop Candidate" — Explained precinct‑level voting patterns, turnout dynamics, and ward‑by‑ward map analysis that helped explain Brandon Johnson’s upset over Paul Vallas.
POLITICO Illinois Playbook (April 5, 2023) – "It’s Mayor Johnson in a stunner" — Credited with mapping analysis showing Brandon Johnson won approximately 80 percent of the Black vote in the mayoral runoff.
Ballotpedia News (June 29, 2022) – Casten defeats Newman in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 6th Congressional District — Analyzed redrawn district constituent overlaps, noting that 41 percent of constituents in the new 6th District came from Newman's previous district and 23 percent from Casten's.
Split Ticket (November 26, 2021) "An Old Coalition Mix-up in Illinois" — Cited as an Illinois political expert analyzing the shifting political geography of the Chicago suburbs.
The CloutCast (November 14, 2021) "A year of redistricting in Illinois" — Joined this Chicago politics podcast as a mapmaker to break down the newly drawn political boundaries for the legislature, state Supreme Court, and congressional districts.
POLITICO Illinois Playbook (October 28, 2021) "New Illinois congressional map emerges after tension-fueled day" — Featured in Shia Kapos's morning newsletter providing the definitive demographic breakdown of the newly drawn 6th Congressional District, revealing that 41 percent of the new district's constituents came from Rep. Marie Newman's old district compared to just 23 percent from Rep. Sean Casten's.
The Illinoize (October 6, 2021) “What is a ‘Fair’ Congressional Map?” — Quoted as a political consultant and GIS mapping expert defining a fair congressional map as one that respects community boundaries and allows residents to easily understand which district represents them.
POLITICO Illinois Playbook (November 25, 2019) – “Deck the halls with petitions” — Featured as an expert on candidate petitions in POLITICO Illinois Playbook’s coverage of the opening of Illinois’ 2020 primary election petition-filing period.
For What It’s Worth (June 6, 2019) "Frank Calabrese creates maps with GIS technology that show where victories in judicial elections may be found." — Produced detailed maps revealing geographic pockets of strong support for judicial candidates in Cook County.