Chicago school board candidates tops off at 47 candidates across 10 districts
On Monday, the filing deadline, the total number of candidates for Chicago’s first school board election in November capped off at 47.
Most candidates—a diverse mix of parents, educators, community activists, and even a performance artist —gathered support and cultivated their campaigns months ahead of the filing deadline despite the many questions lingering about the multi-year transition and how the new 21-member board will govern. They have until July 15 to disclose their campaign contributions, which can indicate the race’s competitiveness alongside the number of candidates on each district’s ballot.
The Chicago Board of Education currently comprises seven board members appointed by the mayor. But earlier this year, state legislators settled on the formal transition from the current seven-member appointed board to the new, hybrid elected model.
Chicago residents, divided into 10 districts, will vote in the Nov. 5 general election for board members to take office next year. After the election, Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint a board president and 10 additional board members from smaller subdistricts, for a total of 11 board members chosen by the mayor.
In 2026, Chicagoans will elect all 21 members for four-year terms.
Vying for one of 10 board seats, candidates began submitting their petitions on June 17 for the Nov. 5 general election. In addition to collecting 1,000 signatures from their district’s residents, candidates filed paperwork with the Chicago Board of Elections, including documents declaring their intent to run. They also had to provide documents stating their economic interests with the Cook County clerk’s office.
Bever said the election board will consider
“Every district currently has at least three candidates, which is a good thing to see for democracy,” said Max Bever, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. “We urge voters to start researching the candidates within their districts to be ready to vote by Election Day this upcoming November 5th,” he said.
These are the candidates running in each district, based on records obtained from the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Chicago Board of Elections.
Voting by mail starts Aug. 7, and early voting begins on Sept. 26.
Chicago residents can find their district by looking up their addresses here.
1st District
Jennifer Custer
Charles (Chuck) Hernandez
Michelle N. Pierre
2nd District
Ebony L. DeBerry
Kate Doyle
Daniel Steven Kleinman
Margaret “Maggie” Cullerton Hooper
Bruce Leon
3rd District
Carlos A. Rivas, Jr.
Jason C. Dones
Kirk J. Ortiz
4th District
Kimberly Brown
Karen Zaccor
Ellen Rosenfeld
Thomas Day
Andrew A. Davis
Carmen Gioiosa
5th District
Anthony Hargrove
Aaron “Jitu” Brown
Jousef M. Shkoukani
Kernetha Jones
Michilla “Kyla” Blaise
6th District
Jessica Biggs
Anusha Thotakura
Brenda I. Delgado
Danielle J. Wallce
Andre Smith
7th District
Yesenia Lopez
Felipe “Phil” Luna Jr.
Jesus Ayala Jr.
Eva A. Villalobos
Raquel Don
8th District
Angel Gutierrez
Felix Ponce
Darius Dee Nix
9th District
Brittany Bailey Preston
Therese Boyle
Lanetta M. Thomas
Miquel Lewis
La’Mont Raymond Williams
10th District
Adam Parrott-Sheffer
Che “Rhymefest” Smith
Karin Norington-Reaves
Robert Jones
Nathaniel “Nate” Ward
Rosita Chatonda
James M. Walton Jr.