Laura Washington

Laura Washington is a contributing columnist for the Chicago Tribune and political analyst at ABC-7. Before moving to the Tribune, she served as a longtime contributing columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Washington brings more than two award-winning decades of experience as a non-profit professional and multi-media journalist. She specializes in African American affairs, local and national politics, race and racism, and social justice.

White Sox fans wait to get autographs before their team hosts the Mets at Rate Field on Aug. 23, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: This lifelong Cubs fan from the South Side is seeing a lot of Sox love on the North Side

September 9, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

I am seeing White Sox fans pop up like green shoots on the North Side. The beloved team of my childhood could be facing a reckoning.

Mayor Brandon Johnson walks through Chicago City Hall on June 16, 2026, before a media briefing. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Will he run again? Mayor Brandon Johnson has the luxury of waiting to decide.

August 26, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

What does Mayor Brandon Johnson hope to accomplish by dragging his feet?

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, stands with his family before taking the stage to give a concession speech in a primary race during his election night watch party at the Westin Hotel on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, March 17, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Illinois and Chicago campaigns defy conventional monied wisdom

August 12, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Elections are being bought and sold by the monied classes, "they" say, but elections in Illinois and Chicago tell a different story.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Gov. JB Pritzker seen in photos from 2019 and 2025, respectively. (José M. Osorio and Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: JB Pritzker and Rahm Emanuel are on a collision course in the 2028 presidential race

July 29, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If JB Pritzker and Rahm Emanuel can gain traction in the 2028 presidential race, the pair brings a keen contrast in style and politics.

U.S Sen. Bernie Sanders I-Vermont, at lectern, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, second from right, at a campaign rally for House primary candidates in New York on June 18, 2026. From left: Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, Sanders, Mamdani and Darializa Avila Chevalier. (Angelina Katsanis/The New York Times)

Laura Washington: The socialists and moderates in the Democratic Party must work together to regain Congress

July 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

No matter how hard left-leaning Democrats try to portray themselves in the majority, they need to face the truth. The center is the majority.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley talks with supporters after announcing his candidacy for Chicago mayor at the Uptown Theatre on June 27, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Should Chicago mayoral candidates be allowed to run for two offices at the same time?

July 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Some Illinois politicians are so enamored with getting elected that they accept their party’s nominations for one office, while plotting for another.

A branch of the Chicago Public Library at the Obama Presidential Center campus June 3, 2026, in Chicago’s Jackson Park. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: The public library at the Obama Presidential Center rises above it all

June 14, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The public library at the Obama center will be a gift to the community, where we can seek credibility and substance. A literary sanctuary.

Pope Leo XIV stands at the window of his studio during the noon Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square on May 31, 2026, at the Vatican. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Pope Leo XIV’s apology for slavery is a start. Now the church must seek atonement.

June 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Pope Leo XIV must act on the church's mea culpa by crusading against the racist and bigoted policies of President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a tour of his ballroom project construction site at the White House campus in Washington on May 19, 2026. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Laura Washington: The GOP doesn’t need to stick with Donald Trump’s ballroom plans. Perhaps a wrestling ring?

May 20, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

If the GOP is desperate to please Donald Trump, I am happy to offer alternatives to the White House ballroom project.

Many people plan on giving their mother flowers for Mother's Day. Here a worker prepares flowers for sale on July 18, 2025, in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Laura Washington: Some people struggle with Mother’s Day. Can you ‘opt out’?

May 6, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

I lost my irreplaceable mom in 2023. I don’t plan for Mother's Day any longer, but the last thing I need is a reminder.

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