Chicago City Wire

North Side Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Rogers Park) has criticized the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board as "all male and nearly all-white."

Cassidy made the comment in a letter to the Chicago Tribune editor, published by the newspaper on Tuesday.

"Voters should look beyond yet another unfortunate decision by the all-male and nearly all-white Tribune Editorial Board and consider the facts as reported by the Tribune’s own news team," she wrote.

Cassidy, herself a white female, was criticizing the Editorial Board's endorsement of fellow white female Eileen O'Neill Burke for Cook County State's Attorney, published last week.

Cassidy was suggesting that non-white Chicago Tribune staff would have preferred if the newspaper's Editorial Board to not endorse a white candidate.

O'Neill Burke is running against Clayton Harris, III in the March 19 Democratic Primary.

Harris is black and backed by the city and county's existing leadership, which is all black, including State's Attorney Kim Foxx, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Cassidy has been an early ardent backer of Foxx, in her run for state's attorney and during Foxx's tenure running the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, backing bills in Springfield that promote "equity-centered restorative justice," or eliminating punishment and prison sentences for violent criminals, replacing it with counseling and "social work."

The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board has six members-- half of whom (50 percent) are white males.

It currently includes editorial page editor Chris Jones (white male), columnist Clarence Page (black male), reporter Stephen Daniels (white male), freelance writer Greg Burns (white male), editor Grace Miserocchi (white female) and editor Collen Kujawa (white female).

In the 2020 U.S. Census, the city of Chicago was 31.4 percent white, 29.8 percent Hispanic, 28.7 percent black and 6.9 percent Asian.

In 2010, Chicago was 31.7 percent white, 32.3 percent black, 28.9 percent hispanic and 5.4 percent Asian.

In 1990, Chicago was 39.1 percent black, 37.9 percent white, 19.6 percent hispanic and 3.7 percent Asian.

In the 2020 U.S. Census, Cook County was 40.5 percent white, 26.2 percent hispanic, 22.5 percent black and 7.8 percent Asian.

In 2010, Cook County was 43.9 percent white, 24.4 percent black, 24.0 percent hispanic and 6.1 percent Asian.

Cassidy married the sister of white former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 2017.