Chicago School Board Election Results...And Hot Takes!

As of 1:38 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, here's where the election results stood. You can get the latest results here. I'm linking to particularly interesting coverage of the races from my colleagues at other outlets. Plenty of reporters were out and about at watch parties last night.

President: Jessica Biggs

District 1A: Margie Luczak

District 1B: Claudia Peralta

District 2A: Ebony DeBerry

District 2B: Debby Pope

District 3A: Norma Rios-Sierra

District 3B: Too close to call, Jason Dones leading by three-tenths of a percentage point!

District 4A: Karen Zaccor

District 4B: Ellen Rosenfeld (unopposed)

District 5A: LaPamela Williams

District 5B: Michilla Blaise with a narrow lead and three precincts left to count

District 6A: Isaiah White with a one-percentage-point lead over Anusha Thotakura. White told Chalkbeat Chicago it "looks positive," but he would not declare victory until mail-in ballots were counted.

District 6B: Brittany Kimble

District 7A: Emma Lozano

District 7B: Yesenia Lopez

District 8A: Angel Gutierrez (unopposed)

District 8B: Juan Ignacio Gonzalez (opposed by a write-in candidate)

District 9A: Brittany Preston (unopposed)

District 10A: Che "Rhymefest" Smith (opposed by a write-in candidate)

District 10B: Connie Anderson

The Hot Takes, and the Takeaways

Power shift. Thanks to mayoral appointees, the current board has a majority of members who align with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union. The new board will have a slim majority of members who oppose them with varying levels of intensity, including Biggs, the new board president.

The new board has either eight or nine close CTU allies, depending on the outcome in 3B and assuming White officially wins 6A once the mail-in ballots are counted. Plus, Yesenia Lopez, who was endorsed by Our Schools PAC, though not directly by CTU. Lopez has deftly maintained relationships with board members across the ideological spectrum. Though she has often supported CTU's positions, she has shown independence, particularly in budget votes.

The new board may have the simple majority it needs to get most business done, but Biggs will have to reach beyond that simple majority to pass items requiring a two-thirds majority--including any amendments to this year's budget.

As CTU president Stacy Davis Gates said to supporters at the union's headquarters last night for a watch party, "Look, I know it feels a way, but ain't nobody got a governing majority. They didn't win and we didn't win."

“I think voters wanted fresh leadership and not a complete landslide of one dominating group," said Claiborne Wade, a CPS parent and co-chair of the Austin Community Advisory Council. "And I think that’s good, because everyone’s interest is represented.”

Money isn't everything. Claudia Peralta (1B), Karen Zaccor (4A), and Connie Anderson (10B) won despite being massively outspent.

"A well-funded campaign cannot replace genuine relationships with a community," Anderson told Board Rule over text. "My victory is a reminder that campaign money can buy advertising and visibility, but it cannot buy credibility, relationships, or community trust. ... I earned that trust by showing up, listening, building relationships, and doing the work. And I intend to carry that same approach into public service."

But it is something. At the same time, Margie Luczak and LaPamela Williams scored surprising, decisive victories over their incumbent opponents. Each outspent her opponent by about 6:1 and 9:1, respectively.

Sisters are doing it for themselves. The number of men on the Chicago Board of Education will drop from eight to five when the newly elected board takes office. Seven races featured a head-to-head matchup between a man and a woman, and the women won six of them.

Underdogs made headway. In addition to the upset victories mentioned above, some underdog candidates made stronger-than-expected showings. Jesus Ayala, Jr. in 7A and Brenda Anderson in 6A ran very competitive races while staying focused on the issues.

"Talking about kids works," said Bridget Lee, executive director of the Academy for Local Leadership Chicago, which trains community leaders, education advocates, and prospective school board candidates.

Watching the Watch Parties

Board Rule stopped by the watch parties for Jessica Biggs and Hilario Dominguez last night. Here's what--and who--we saw.

Biggs' party, held at RPM Events in River North, featured Peking duck egg rolls, mini crab cakes, milk chocolate cake pops, lemon meringue tartlets, and plenty of wine and bubbly. The folks in the room were a mix of suits and SEIU purple.

In her victory speech, Biggs pledged, "I made one promise in this campaign above all others: I will put Chicago's students ahead of politics. I will also work with any mayor, any union, and any partner who puts our children first."

Shortly after her remarks, newly re-elected Illinois Secretary of State and mayoral candidate Alexi Giannoulias arrived to offer his congratulations.

Other noteworthy folks spotted: Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73, Heather Anichini and Nelson Gerew of the Chicago Public Education Fund, Bridget Lee of ALL Chicago, Maurice Sweeney of Chicago Beyond, Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute's Chicago Policy Center, political consultant Frank Calabrese, and Adriana Velasquez, a community organizer with SWOP who was recently named one of eight 2026 Leaders for a New Chicago.

At CTU headquarters, the party had largely headed outdoors by the time I arrived, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm night. The last pizza box on the table was from Costco. Add that to Chalkbeat's pizza guide!

As the party was breaking up, I spotted Jitu Brown, Michilla Blaise, CTU Recording Secretary Vicky Kurzydlo, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, and Hilario Dominguez. I'm told Khari Humphries, deputy mayor for education and youth, had been there earlier.

It has been an honor to cover Chicago's first full complement of school board elections. Board Rule couldn't have done it without the support of Press Forward Chicago. Our thanks to executive director Tracy Baim and program manager Taylor Moore.

Events

The races are over; new challenges lie ahead. First up: the legislature's veto session gets underway next week.

Thursday, Nov. 12: Pathways to Possibility: The State of Higher Education Summit, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Register here.

Thursday, Nov. 12: Black Student Achievement Committee, 6 p.m., Chicago Board of Education office, 42 W. Madison. Details here.

Wednesday, November 18: IFT Springfield Lobby Day, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Pasfield House, 525 S Pasfield St., Springfield, IL. Register here.

By Nov. 26: Take the CPS Fall Survey! Topics include attendance boundaries, space use, the district's instructional vision for learning from PreK to second grade, and generative AI.