According to the Chicago Board of Elections, early voting for the Chicago municipal election his year is the “highest” the board has ever seen for a Municipal Election. Lisa Chavarria has more on where things currently stand.
While most of the attention on Election Day in Chicago has been focused on the nine Chicago Mayoral Candidates, Chicago voters will also be casting ballots for who should represent their Ward at City Council.
In all, 12 members of the City Council will not be seeking reelection, with several more defending seats that they’ve only recently been appointed to.
Here's a breakdown:
- Alds. Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer, representing the fourth and sixth wards, respectively, are both opting out of running for reelection, and are instead running for Chicago mayor.
- Ald. Leslie Hairston opted not to seek reelection in the fifth ward, with 11 candidates battling to replace her in the ward that includes parts of Hyde Park, South Shore and Woodlawn.
- In the 14th ward, Ald. Ed Burke has opted not to run for reelection after decades on the City Council. Jeylu Gutierrez and Raul Reyes are squaring off in that ward, which includes parts of Archer Heights and Gage Park.
- Another long-time member of the City Council, Ald. Carrie Austin, will not run for reelection in the 34th ward, with Bill Conway and Jim Ascot competing to replace her.
Additionally, a total of 10 contenders are vying for the 48th ward seat of Ald. Harry Osterman, who had been on the council since 2011.
In addition to the retirements from the Council, other members are facing contentious reelection fights, including Ald. Daniel La Spata, who is facing three opponents in the first ward, including Procco “Joe” Moreno, the man he defeated for the seat in 2019.
MORE: Here Are 11 Races to Watch in the 2023 Chicago Elections
In the 19th ward, which includes Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park, Ald. Matthew O’Shea is facing a tough battle against Tim Noonan and Michael Cummings.
Ald. Monique Scott, representing the city’s 24th ward, is facing a staggering seven contenders for her position after she was appointed to the City Council to replace her brother Michael Scott in June 2022.
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Just like in the mayoral election, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the Feb. 28 election, meaning 50% plus one additional vote, then the top two vote-getters would advance to a runoff, which will be held on April 4.
Not sure which ward you live in? You can use the city's "Ward Finder" tool here.
Note: the candidates on this list appear in the order in which they will appear on the ballot.
1st Ward
2nd Ward
Ald. Brian Hopkins
3rd Ward
Ald. Pat Dowell
4th Ward
5th Ward
6th Ward
Tavares Briggs
7th Ward
Ald. Gregory Mitchell
8th Ward
9th Ward
10th Ward
11th Ward
12th Ward
13th Ward
14th Ward
15th Ward
16th Ward
17th Ward
Ald. David H. Moore
18th Ward
19th Ward
20th Ward
21st Ward
22nd Ward
23rd Ward
24th Ward
Larry G. Nelson
25th Ward
26th Ward
27th Ward
Ald. Walter Burnett, Jr.
28th Ward
29th Ward
30th Ward
31st Ward
32nd Ward
Ald. Scott Waguespack
33rd Ward
Ald. Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez
34th Ward
35th Ward
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
36th Ward
37th Ward
38th Ward
39th Ward
40th Ward
41st Ward
42nd Ward
Ald. Brendan Reilly
43rd Ward
44th Ward
Bennett R. Lawson
45th Ward
46th Ward
47th Ward
Ald. Matt Martin
