Chicago Board of Elections says 47 candidates to run for elected school board

Elected school board candidates, including Kimberly Brown, submit filing paperwork at the Chicago Board of Elections on June 17, 2024. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

By Zareen Syed | [email protected] | baiduhai

PUBLISHED: June 24, 2024 at 8:23 PM CDT | UPDATED: June 25, 2024 at 9:12 AM CDT

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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.

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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.

“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.