The Last Ward
Investor Due Diligence Report
substackPolitics
The Last Ward is where power is brokered, deals are cut, and Chicago’s future is decided. Published by the Chicago Policy Center.
169K
10.1K paid
+3.3%
Insufficient data
29 of 30 days needed
Pricing
$10/mo
$100/yr annual option
$80K
10.1K paid subs
$80K/mo – $80K/mo(±0%)
0.6
76.5
0.05%
(comments + likes) / subscribers
Weekly
0.9 posts/week
88/100
Very Consistent (~7.7d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Anna Alice Through the Looking Glass | 44K | N/A | $6/mo | substack |
| Trump Tyranny Tracker | 41K | N/A | $7/mo | substack |
| Grace Blakeley | 40K | N/A | $5/mo | substack |
| Special Competitive Studies Project | 36K | N/A | Free | substack |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 110K | $59,839.65 | — |
| Apr 2026 | 128K | $69,626.1 | +16.4% |
| May 2026 | 147K | $79,961.1 | +14.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 148K | $80,509.65 | ~0% |
| Jul 2026 | 162K | $88,125.75 | +9.5% |
Platform Dependency
Uses substack platform
Publishing Consistency
Regular publishing schedule
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Audience Concentration
Consistent engagement across posts
Subscriber threshold
169K subscribers — above the 6K category median for first paid tier
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 65 similar-size peers in Politics have paid tiers
Pricing position
$10/mo vs $6/mo category median (1293 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | $10 | $100 |
Disclaimer: This report is generated automatically based on publicly available data and proprietary estimation models. Estimated subscriber counts are derived from engagement patterns and should be verified through direct disclosure. Revenue estimates are based on known pricing and estimated paid subscriber counts. This report is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for investment decisions.
| Component | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | 27/100 | 30% |
| Paid Subscriber Ratio | 100/100 | 25% |
| Growth Consistency | 89/100 | 15% |
| Publishing Consistency | 75/100 | 10% |
| Lucian Truscott Newsletter | 33K | N/A | $5/mo | substack |
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier