Chicago School Board Elections 2026

The incumbent school board member cited “special interests prepared to spend millions of dollars” as a reason for bowing out.

What is the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education? Why are there so many school board members? What do they do? We break down the significant role the CPS board plays in your child’s education.

The firms tied to former Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers and former Blagojevich administration official Bamani Obadele have gotten campaign business from Gov. JB Pritzker and in the hotly contested race for Chicago School Board president.

Two incumbents and two would-be board members survived efforts to throw out their signature petitions, and one other candidate was kicked off the ballot.

Angel Gutierrez and Ellen Rosenfeld, who both faced challengers in 2024, are running unopposed this year. A mixture of politics and lack of awareness about the school board could explain why voters have been left with fewer choices.

It’s likely Johnson’s last appointment as 30 years of mayoral control ends in Chicago. Anderson is currently a candidate in the upcoming Nov. 3 election when voters will pick all 21 school board members.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners voted to remove one candidate from the school board race.

The complaint, filed on behalf of challenger Sendhil Revuluri, claims Dominguez didn’t file campaign expenses or contributions as required, even though he’s held a fundraising event and created campaign materials.

SEIU Illinois State Council is backing 15 candidates, 10 of whom are running against candidates backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. The endorsements highlight a growing rift between the two groups.

With attorney Victor Henderson loaning $500,000 to his own campaign, the race to lead the city’s first fully elected school board has no donation limits. Super PACs gearing up to get involved in the board elections haven’t started spending big yet.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners voted to remove five candidates from the school board race. Five others are confirmed to be on the ballot this November.

The politically powerful Chicago Teachers Union announced a slate of endorsements for the city’s first fully elected school board Monday. The union has less campaign cash than other entities, but its tens of thousands of members can help get out the vote.

The board passed a resolution that bars board members running for school board seats from accepting campaign donations from current or prospective CPS vendors.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners accepted previous court precedent to drop dual-circulation objections against 22 candidates for school board. Oral arguments by candidates’ and objectors’ lawyers addressed voter confusion, nonpartisan alignment, and past rulings on the issue.

The pro-school choice organization Urban Center is behind at least 14 of the challenges.

Of the 51 people who filed paperwork to run for school board in Chicago, 28 have had their signatures called into question. The petition challenges can take weeks to resolve and could result in several uncontested races.

Dozens of people filed paperwork to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for Chicago’s school board election by the required deadline.

Who is looking to enter Chicago’s historic school board elections?

Some 40 active political committees of school board incumbents and candidates have already raised more than $650,000 since last fall.

Vélez will replace former vice president Olga Bautista, who stepped down in March.