Election board disqualifies five candidates in Chicago school board race, leaves multiple districts uncontested

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has removed five candidates from the ballot for the city's first fully elected school board, including two sitting incumbents. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that board vice president Angel Velez, who represents District 9A on the Southwest Side, and Cydney Wallace, who represents District 8B on the South Side, were among those disqualified after the board upheld challenges to their candidacies.

Chicago Sun-Times5 school board candidates removed from ballot, including 2 incumbents

Also removed were newcomers Marlo Barnett and Krista Nichols Alston, as well as Rosita Chatonda, who previously ran in 2024. The decisions, reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, have dramatically reshaped the field for the November election.

As a result of the removals, only one candidate remains in four races, including the districts represented by Velez and Wallace. The Chicago Sun-Times noted that ten other districts could also face uncontested races, significantly reducing voter choice in what was expected to be a competitive first election for the fully elected board.

The shake-up narrows the field at a critical moment for Chicago's school governance. The shift toward an elected board was intended to increase democratic representation, but these disqualifications have the opposite effect in several districts.

Further challenges or appeals could still alter the ballot, but for now the election map looks markedly different than what voters may have anticipated.