Jessica Biggs

Chicago's school board election will have five candidates for president, but District 10a voters will only see one candidate after challenger Tameka Walton was removed from the ballot due to insufficient valid signatures. Other candidates faced similar challenges, with some removed and others awaiting decisions.

Chicago's transition to a fully-elected school board resulted in some districts having only one candidate on the ballot after signature challenges. Tameka Walton, a District 10a candidate, was removed due to insufficient valid signatures but plans a write-in campaign. Eleven candidates faced ballot removal challenges, with five remaining under review.

Governor Pritzker is urging the release of the full ethics report on Harry Benton. The Chicago Teachers Union is actively opposing Jessica Biggs' campaign for the Chicago School Board.

The union representing Chicago school support staff (SEIU Illinois State Council) endorsed Jessica Biggs for school board president and over a dozen district representatives, diverging from the Chicago Teachers Union's support for Hilario Dominguez. The split affects 10 school board races, with both unions backing different candidates, though they align on five others. SEIU's endorsement highlights Biggs' experience with school budget impacts and her prior role as a CPS principal.

Over $1.6 million has been raised in Chicago school board election campaigns since October, with contribution caps lifted for the board president race. Key candidates include Victor Hendorson, Hilario Dominguez, Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, and Sendhil Revuluri, as Chicago prepares for its first fully elected school board in November.

Half of Chicago school board candidates are facing challenges, with CTU-aligned candidates prominently affected. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) claims it did not file any challenges, despite past accusations of using petition challenges to remove candidates. The CTU plans to provide legal support to challengeds without lawyers, while opponents like Common Ground Collective accuse the union of attempting to restrict civic engagement.

Fifty-one candidates have filed to run for Chicago’s Board of Education in November, marking the first fully elected board in the city’s history. The election will transition governance from mayoral control after 30 years, with candidates required to collect signatures for ballot inclusion, though challenges may remove some contenders.

Chicago's school board elections began with the first day of candidate filing, drawing over 20 people to submit paperwork early. Candidates compete for 21 seats on the Board of Education, transitioning from mayor-appointed to elected roles. The first name on the November ballot is determined by a lottery for those filing by 9 a.m.