With Last CPS School Board Races Called, Elected Board Divided Among CTU, Independents and Anti-CTU Camps
Races Called in Districts 1 and 9
Two more Chicago school board races have been called by the Associated Press, and in both of them independent candidates were confirmed as winners. With the South Side’s District 9 going to retired school psychologist Therese Boyle and the Southeast Side’s District 10 going to songwriter and rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, candidates who were not supported by special interests and did not have big money have won three of 10 open seats.
Boyle Wins District 9
Therese Boyle, District 9
Boyle, a retired school psychologist, won the race in District 9. On Friday, she said she was proud of her campaign and thankful to her neighbors and friends who stepped up. “I think I ran a really positive campaign that really stuck to the issues of supporting the students and the communities and the taxpayers,” she said. “I didn’t engage in any negative campaigning.”
Smith Wins District 10
On Tuesday night, when it looked like Smith was going to pull through a victory, he said he was impressed by District 10 voters who went for a community person as opposed to someone who had major backing from special interests. In District 10, voters in some polling stations on Election Day were given ballots with the wrong school board voting district. A spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said the issue was resolved quickly and there is no way to rectify it now, but several candidates were concerned about voters being disenfranchised. Smith won by about 2,200 votes.
Race Results
Looking across the 10 races, four CTU candidates won, including Custer; three candidates backed by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools won; and three independent candidates won. The independents had way less money than those with support from CTU or pro-charter school, anti-CTU groups.
Financial Support
The CTU and its related political action committees spent about $1.75 million on their candidates as of Nov. 7, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Two pro-charter school, anti-CTU groups spent about $3.17 million, either through independent expenditure or political action committees.
Conclusion
The results of the CPS school board races show a divided board, with candidates from different camps winning seats. The CTU-backed candidates won four seats, while independent candidates won three, and pro-charter school, anti-CTU groups won three. The outcome of the races will likely have a significant impact on the direction of the Chicago Public Schools system.
FAQs
* Who won the races in Districts 1 and 9?
+ Therese Boyle won in District 9, and Jennifer Custer is leading in District 1, but the results are still pending.
* How many seats did CTU-backed candidates win?
+ Four seats
* How many seats did independent candidates win?
+ Three seats
* How much did the CTU spend on their candidates?
+ About $1.75 million
* How much did pro-charter school, anti-CTU groups spend on their candidates?
+ About $3.17 million
