[3] In a 2015 Chicago magazine article, Whet Moser described lakefront liberals as having predominantly consisted of white professionals, many of whom were born during the baby boom.
[9] A 1989 article in the New York Times cast doubt on the continued presence of the lakefront liberal bloc in Lincoln Park and the 43rd ward, writing, The Lincoln Park neighborhood, for example, where townhouses valued at $500,000 are becoming more common, once served as the apotheosis of liberal, anti-Democratic [Party] machine sentiment.
But in 1987 in the general election [for mayor] the ward rejected Mr. Washington by a 2-to-1 ratio in favor of Edward Vrdolyak, a conservative former Alderman who has since joined the Republican Party.
[1] McClell wrote that it is theorized that much of the former lakefront liberals voting base left the geographic area that the coalition once occupied, after being priced-out, moving to neighborhoods such as Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Avondale, making up part of what is now known as the "Milwaukee Avenue Progressives".
Some political journalists, such as Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times, believe that many northern lakefront wards continue to have an electorate that favors progressivism.
[14][15] In the initial round the election, Bill Ruthhart of the Chicago Tribune wrote that her, "base proved to be in the liberal lakefront wards on the North Side.
[18] In the runoff of the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, a key portion of the vote that secured liberal Brandon Johnson's victory against a more conservative opponent was from voters in the northern lakefront wards.