July 08, 2026
Longtime Nadig Newspapers political columnist Russ Stewart passes away, wrote about 2,500 columns

by BRIAN NADIG

Longtime Nadig Newspapers’ political columnist Russ Stewart died last month at the age of 76.

He wrote about 2,500 columns for this newspaper since 1973. He passed away peacefully at his Norwood Park home on June 23.

“He was a great guy,” Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) said. “I told him that he was a champion for the little guy, and he’d respond that’s because the big guys won’t hire him.”

Stewart was supportive of Sposato’s attempts to unseat the “Democratic machine.”

Sposato lost in 2007 to powerful alderman William Banks in the 36th Ward, who retired in 2009. Sposato defeated Banks’ successor, John Rice, in 2011, and later won election in the 38th Ward after he was redistricted.

At the time Stewart wrote that Sposato’s career as a firefighter would play well on the Northwest Side, which is the home to many first responders.

Stewart, an attorney, represented Sposato in his efforts to win the challenges which Banks’ organization had filed against Sposato’s nominating petitions.

Over the years Stewart represented many candidates at their petition challenge hearings — often against attorneys who worked for the Cook County Democratic Party.

Stewart himself had political aspirations, running unsuccessfully for a state legislative seat and a judgeship. He also worked in the office of former 47th Ward Alderman  John J. Hoellen.

His opinion columns often focused on identity politics — how a candidate’s race, religion or ethnicity would impact the outcome. He also would examine candidates’ campaign fund raising and criticize those who had multiple government jobs — and thus multiple pensions when they retired.

He was especially harsh on candidates who would retire with large election war chests and find ways to funnel some of that money to friends and relatives.

Stewart was a Republican in a city where the vast majority are not, and that presumably meant his readership consisted mostly of Democrats.

Some of those readers over the years would call the newspaper and say something to the effect of “I don’t always agree with him, but I love reading his column.”

He also had plenty of haters, who on more than one occasion demanded his removal from the editorial page of the newspaper.

Many of the Democratic officials who Stewart periodically blasted in his column nevertheless would grant him interviews — and sometimes later regretting that decision when the column was finally published.

That would be evidenced by an angry phone call to a publisher or editor at the newspaper. And his occasional use of insulating nicknames for officials didn’t help diffuse the situation.

Stewart also could be critical of Republicans. He often described their candidacies as a losing one before the first ballot was even cast, given the Democratic stranglehold over most of Chicago.

His Rolodex was filled with contact information for hundreds — or maybe thousands — of politicians, political consultants and government workers. He sometimes surprised his editors by the people he was able to get interviews with.

A former committeeman once told newspaper ownership, “I’ll never talk to Russ again,” only to become one of his inside sources months later.

Stewart wrote his final column in November of last year. He went into “retirement,” hoping to still write an occasional column, but he said earlier this year he was having too much fun watching “Fox News” at home.

Stewart had a law office in Park Ridge and lived in the Norwood Park house that once belonged to his grandparents. He attended Taft High School and often owned several dogs at a time. He is survived by his loving wife Bonnie Stewart. They were married for 37 years.

A celebration of his life will be held privately.

Read more Analysis & Opinion from Russ Stewart at Russstewart.com

This column was published in Nadig Newspapers. If you, a friend or a colleague wish to be added to Russ's BUDDY LIST, and be emailed his column every Wednesday morning, email webmaster Joe at Joe@Nadignewspapers.com