Mitchell Armentrout
Mitchell Armentrout covers how power is exercised in Illinois, with a particular focus on the intersection of state government, elections and billion‑dollar deals that touch taxpayers and voters directly. He is a reporter and assistant editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, covering government and politics from Chicago to Springfield with a focus on the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration. His coverage ranges from explanatory guides to major statewide races to close tracking of legislative maneuvering, watchdog investigations and high‑profile projects such as gambling expansion and the Chicago Bears’ stadium plans. Across those subjects, he consistently connects the mechanics of policy and politics to their financial, legal and practical consequences for people in Illinois.
Illinois elections and statewide races
Armentrout is a core voice on Illinois election coverage, often using “what to know” explainers to map out the stakes of statewide contests and key legislative races. His piece on the race for Illinois governor lays out the rematch between Gov. JB Pritzker, Republican Darren Bailey and independent candidate Collin Corbett, explaining the governor’s formal powers and how each contender’s approach could shape the General Assembly’s agenda and state policy. He profiles Corbett separately as an independent candidate seeking a middle ground between Pritzker and Bailey, detailing his fiscal conservatism, support for abortion rights, opposition to much of the Trump agenda and the significant personal money he has put into his campaign.
In a “what to know” guide to the 97th House District, he walks readers through one of the few competitive races on Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered map, highlighting how sexual harassment allegations against former state Rep. Harry Benton have reshaped the contest between Jessica Dixon Heitman and Gabby Shanahan. He also reports from the Illinois State Fair on Republicans’ efforts to recruit statewide candidates, capturing the party’s enthusiasm and Trump‑aligned rhetoric alongside the strategic problem of finding credible contenders in a deep‑blue state.
Together, these stories show him treating elections not as horse‑race coverage but as the front end of long‑running fights over power, ethics and representation at the state level.
Bears stadium, gambling and megaproject politics
Armentrout’s beat includes sustained attention to the politics of gambling expansion and professional sports infrastructure in Illinois. His author profile notes that he has covered the rapid growth of gambling statewide, including the advent of legal sports betting and Chicago’s first casino, as well as the Chicago Bears’ quest for a new stadium.
In reporting on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s visits to Illinois, he tracks closed‑door meetings between Goodell, Gov. Pritzker, Bears minority owner Pat Ryan and legislative leaders, framing the talks around property tax incentives the team seeks to break ground in Arlington Heights and the risk of the Bears moving across state lines.
His coverage follows not just the political theater but the negotiations over tax breaks, stadium financing and the leverage each side holds, showing how sports‑related megaprojects are treated as economic development tools with major public‑finance implications.
He has also scrutinized the fiscal impact of legislation tied to the Bears’ broader stadium and entertainment district plans, examining how proposed deals would affect Illinois taxpayers under analyses from local fiscal officials. Across this cluster of stories, he treats sports and gambling less as lifestyle beats and more as a window into how big private interests seek favorable terms from state government.
State policy, oversight and clashes with the Trump era
Beyond elections and stadium politics, Armentrout follows major policy fights and oversight questions that define Illinois’ relationship with both its own institutions and the federal government.
His reporting on Gov. Pritzker’s Illinois Artificial Intelligence Cabinet describes an executive order convening experts to assess AI risks to residents and critical infrastructure, setting up a new advisory structure to evaluate threats and potential regulation as industry leaders warn about doomsday scenarios. He covers the state’s response to the second Trump administration through the lens of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, documenting how Raoul’s office has joined or filed 51 lawsuits and more than 100 amicus briefs to challenge federal policies on funding cuts, immigration enforcement, restrictions on gender‑affirming care, environmental rollbacks and other priorities.
In that piece, he emphasizes the scale of the legal campaign and underscores how federal actions translate into concrete fights over resources and rights in Illinois. His immigration coverage includes reporting on “Operation Midway Blitz,” where he chronicles the fear and disruption on the ground during a deportation campaign in Chicago, sharing the local impact of national enforcement strategy.
He also writes about legislative oversight within Illinois, including stories on the state’s legislative inspector general and resignations connected to concerns over sexual harassment investigations, reflecting a broader focus on how watchdogs function - or fail - inside the state’s political culture. This cluster of work shows him tracking both policy design and accountability mechanisms, often at the point where state decisions collide with federal agendas and civil rights concerns.
Democratic figures, party dynamics and federal power
Armentrout frequently situates Illinois politics within the history and evolution of the Democratic Party and federal representation.
In a co‑bylined feature on Rev. Jesse Jackson, he explores how Jackson’s presidential campaigns changed Democratic rules by pushing the party toward proportional delegate allocation, and how that shift helped pave the way for figures like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris as well as generations of Democrats in Chicago and beyond. His coverage of U.S. Senate politics includes reporting on a crowded Democratic primary to succeed Sen.
Dick Durbin, where he details how Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton benefited from a campaign funding boost linked to Gov. Pritzker as she edged past U.S. Rep.
Raja Krishnamoorthi and other candidates. He also reports on concerns around federal prosecutions, including a story on Chicago’s top federal prosecutor issuing an unusual briefing report to a grand jury in the “Broadview Six” case after two U.S. senators called for his resignation, underscoring how federal legal decisions reverberate back into Illinois’ political environment.
These pieces illustrate his interest in the long arc of Democratic power, the mechanics of campaign finance and the ways federal offices and courts shape the state’s political landscape. Across his body of work, Armentrout’s distinctiveness lies in treating Illinois politics as a connected system - from Springfield committee rooms to NFL boardrooms and federal courthouses - and in following the chain from headline events to the structures and deals that determine who really holds power.
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A.D. Quig
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Adam Daly
Adam Daly covers politics for amNewYork with a focus on the inner workings of city and state government and the low-profile forums where power is exercised and negotiated. He reports on commissions and panels that shape how New York is governed, treating charter reform and government efficiency as central political terrain. His coverage of moves to replace an Adams-era charter commission with a new government efficiency panel foregrounds mandate, authority, and what “efficiency” means in practice for agencies and services. He tracks who gains and loses influence when one commission supplants another and which constituencies are being answered to. Daly explains dense procedural questions in clear, reader-facing terms, using specific institutional details and occasional wordplay to connect jargon-heavy reforms to public spending, service delivery, and mayoral power.
Adam Pack
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Adam Sullivan
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