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| Elections in Illinois |
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The 2023 Chicago elections took place in two rounds on February 28, 2023, and April 4, 2023. Elections were held for Mayor of Chicago, City Clerk of Chicago, City Treasurer of Chicago, all 50 members of the Chicago City Council, and 66 members of the newly-created police District Councils. [1] [2] The elections were administered by the Chicago Board of Elections.
Incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot ran for re-election, and faced eight challengers: Kam Buckner (member of Illinois House of Representatives), [3] Willie Wilson (businessman and perennial candidate), [4] [5] Roderick Sawyer (member of the Chicago City Council), [6] Sophia King (member of the Chicago City Council), [7] Ja'Mal Green (community activist), [8] Paul Vallas (former CEO of Chicago Public Schools), [9] Brandon Johnson (member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners), [10] and Jesus "Chuy" García (U.S. Representative from Illinois's 4th congressional district). [11]
Candidates who expressed interest but ultimately declined to run include Arne Duncan (former U.S. Secretary of Education), [12] [13] [14] Mike Quigley (U.S. Representative from Illinois's 5th congressional district), [15] and John Catanzara (president of Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police). [16] News reports suggested the following prospective candidates, who all eventually declined to run: La Shawn Ford (member of Illinois House of Representatives), [17] Stacy Davis Gates, [18] and Melissa Conyears-Ervin. [19]
In the first round, Vallas and Johnson won 32.9% and 21.6% of the vote respectively and advanced to the run-off election. [20] In the run-off election on April 4, 2023, Johnson received 52.16% and Vallas received 47.84% of the vote. [21]
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Incumbent City Clerk Anna Valencia ran uncontested for a second full term and a third overall term. [22] [23] She was first appointed to office in 2017, and elected outright in 2019.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna M. Valencia (incumbent) | 457,007 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 457,007 | 100% | |
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Incumbent City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin ran uncontested for a second full-term. [24] She was first elected in 2019.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa Conyears-Ervin (incumbent) | 442,553 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 442,553 | 100% | |
All 50 seats in the City Council were up for election. This was the first City Council election following redistricting based on the results of the 2020 United States census. [25]
Elections were held for 22 newly-created police district councils, one for each of the city's police districts. [26] The district councils were created by a police reform ordinance passed in July 2021. [27] The councils will have police oversight responsibilities within their district, and council members will nominate 14 candidates for the city-wide Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, from which seven will be selected and confirmed by the mayor and City Council. [28]
The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and recommendations to the Chicago City Council, is active in the enforcement of the city's ordinances, submits the city's annual budget and appoints city officers, department commissioners or directors, and members of city boards and commissions.
Thomas M. Tunney is an American politician and entrepreneur from Chicago, Illinois. From 2003 to 2023, he served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council. He represented the prominent 44th Ward of the city, which includes major tourist destinations, Northalsted and Wrigleyville neighborhoods. He was also vice mayor from 2019 to 2023.
Paul Gust Vallas Sr. is an American politician and former education superintendent. He served as the superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools and the Recovery School District of Louisiana, the CEO of both the School District of Philadelphia and the Chicago Public Schools, and a budget director for the city of Chicago.
Walter Burnett Jr. is an American politician who has served as the alderman for Chicago's 27th ward since his first election in 1995. The 27th ward includes the West Loop, Greektown, East Garfield Park, Near North Side, Old Town, West Humboldt Park, West Town, Goose Island and the Illinois Medical District. As of 2023 he is the vice mayor of Chicago.
Scott Waguespack is a member of the Chicago City Council, representing the 32nd ward since May 2007. The current 32nd ward includes parts of the neighborhoods of Bucktown, Goose Island, Hamlin Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Roscoe Village. He is a member of the council's Progressive Reform Caucus, and was the chair during 2015–19. During the 2019–23 term, he was selected as the chair of the Finance Committee.
Roderick Terrance Sawyer is an American politician and the former alderman of the 6th ward located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sawyer is also the former the Chairman of the Health and Human Relations Committee, a member of the Progressive Reform Caucus, and the former Chairman of the African American Caucus.
Jesús G. "Chuy" García is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 4th district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, as well as in the Illinois Senate and on the Chicago City Council before his election to Congress. He was also a candidate for mayor of Chicago in 2015 and 2023. Throughout his career in Chicago and national politics, he has been described as a progressive.
Raymond Anthony Lopez is an American politician who is currently a member of the Chicago City Council serving as alderman of the 15th Ward in Chicago, Illinois.
Gilbert Villegas is an American politician. He is a member of the Chicago City Council, serving as alderperson for the city's 36th ward. The 36th ward includes Belmont-Cragin, Galewood, Hermosa, Humboldt Park, Montclare and Portage Park. Prior to his election to the Chicago City Council, he served as chief of staff of the Illinois Capital Development Board.
Jason C. Ervin is an American politician who serves on the Chicago City Council. He became the alderman for Chicago's 28th ward, located on the west side of Chicago, in 2010.
Sophia D. King is an American politician and former member of Chicago City Council, who served as alderman from the 4th ward, which includes portions of the neighborhoods Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and South Loop. King was appointed to the position in 2016 to replace retiring incumbent Will Burns. She won a special election to serve out the rest term of the term in 2017 and was re-elected to a full term in 2019. She was a member and chair of the City Council's Progressive Reform Caucus. King forwent reelection to the city council in 2023 in order to make an unsuccessful run for mayor of Chicago in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election.
The 2019 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 26, 2019, to determine the next Mayor of the City of Chicago, Illinois. Since no candidate received a majority of votes, a runoff election was held on April 2, 2019, between the two candidates with the most votes, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle. Lightfoot defeated Preckwinkle in the runoff election to become mayor, and was sworn in as mayor on May 20, 2019.
The 2019 Chicago elections took place in two rounds on February 26, 2019, and April 2, 2019. Elections were held for Mayor of Chicago, City Clerk of Chicago, City Treasurer of Chicago, and all 50 members of the Chicago City Council. The candidates who won in these elections were inaugurated on May 20, 2019. Four ballot referendums were also voted on in certain precincts. The elections were administered by the Chicago Board of Elections.
Andrea Marie Valencia is an American politician who serves as the City Clerk of Chicago. She was appointed to the position vacated by Susana Mendoza, and took office in 2017. She was elected to a full term as City Clerk in 2019. Although unsuccessful in her run for Illinois Secretary of State in 2022, she won reelection to City Clerk in 2023.
Lori Elaine Lightfoot is an American politician and attorney who was the 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 until 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as a partner at Mayer Brown and held various government positions in Chicago. She served as president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force. In 2019, Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff election for Chicago mayor. She ran again in 2023 but failed to qualify for the runoff, becoming the city's first incumbent mayor to not be reelected since Jane Byrne in 1983.
Brendan Reilly is an American politician who has served as alderman of Chicago's 42nd ward since 2007, when he unseated septuagenarian incumbent Burton Natarus. He served as Vice Mayor of Chicago, being elected to that position by the Chicago City Council, from 2015 to 2019. From May 2019 to May 2023, he served as President pro tempore of the Council, which means that he presided over council proceedings in the mayor's absence.
Jawaharial Williams is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 10th district. The district includes parts of the Chicago neighborhoods of Austin, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Near North Side, Near West Side, West Garfield Park, and West Town.
Brandon Johnson is an American educator and politician serving as the 57th mayor of Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, Johnson was elected mayor in April 2023. He previously served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 2018 to 2023, representing the 1st district.
The 2023 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 28, 2023, to elect the mayor of Chicago, Illinois. With no candidate receiving a majority of votes in the initial round of the election, a runoff election was held on April 4. This two-round election took place alongside other 2023 Chicago elections, including races for City Council, city clerk, city treasurer, and police district councils. The election was officially nonpartisan, with winner Brandon Johnson being elected to a four-year term which began on May 15.
Ja'Mal Green is an American community activist from Chicago, Illinois. A Black Lives Matter activist, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Chicago in 2019 and 2023.
