Come Election Day, voters in the city of Chicago will elect Chicago Public Schools Board of Education members for the first time.
The elections follow a tumultuous few months for the district, which included the full resignation of the previous Board, the appointment of seven new members by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the recent resignation of appointed president Rev. Mitchell Johnson over anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks.
In early October, Johnson announced he would appoint seven new members to the Chicago Board of Education, three days after the entire board said they would resign ahead of the start of a hybrid elected- and-appointed School Board in January. The announcement came weeks after Johnson reportedly asked Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to resign from his post.
Johnson later denied that he asked Martinez to resign, though Martinez defended his status as the district's leader in a Chicago Tribune op-ed.
With prospective CPS board members seeking election for the first time, here's a complete look at this year's candidates, along with the organizations and groups that have endorsed them.
District 1
Ann Custer: Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
Illinois Election 2024
Michelle Pierre: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 2
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Ebony DeBerry: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Margaret Cullerton Hooper: CPS Parents for Buses
Kate Doyle: CPS Parents for Buses
Bruce Leon: Urban Center Action, Illinois Policy PAC
District 3
Jason Dones: Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
Carlos Rivas Jr.: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 4
Karen Zacor: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Ellen Rosenfield: Urban Center Action, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
Kimberly Brown: CPS Parents for Buses
Thomas Day
Carmen Giolosa
Andrew Davis
District 5
Aaron "JITU" Brown: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Josef Shkoukani (write-in)
Kernetha Jones (write-in)
District 6
Anusha Thotakura: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Jessica Biggs: CPS Parents for Buses
Andre Smith: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, Illinois Policy PAC
Danielle Walker (write-in)
District 7
Yesenia Lopez: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Eva Villalobos: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, CPS Parents for Action, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
Raquel Don
District 8
Felix Ponce: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Anne Gutierrez: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 9
Lanetta Thomas: Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
Therese Boyle
LaMont Raymond Williams
Miquel Lewis: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 10
Robert Jones: Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
Adam Parrott Steffer
Che "Rhymefest" Smith: CPS Parents for Buses
Karin Norington Reaves: INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
Rosita Chotonda (write-in)