Results For 2 Outstanding Chicago School Board Races Called, With A 3rd Still Too Close
Two Races Settled, One Still Undecided
The makeup of Chicago’s next school board is coming into clearer focus. Two of the three races that were too close to call on Election Night have been settled, according to The Associated Press. Therese Boyle, a former teacher, prevailed over three other candidates in District 9. Che “Rhymefest” Smith, an artist and activist, won a four-way race in District 10. Both candidates were leading their races Tuesday night.
Still to be Officially Called: District 1
Still to be officially called is the contest in District 1, where Jennifer Custer was holding her lead over Michelle Pierre as the final ballots were being counted.
Controversy in District 10
Meanwhile, one of the District 10 candidates trailing in the race said she has retained a lawyer after the disclosure that some voters were given ballots with the wrong candidates — a problem that an election official said Tuesday was quickly remedied.
Citywide Counting Continues
Citywide, 54,150 mail-in ballots and about 5,760 provisional ballots remain to be counted over the weekend, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.
What the Results Mean
Barring a reversal in District 1 results, four teachers union-backed candidates, three pro-school choice candidates, and three independent candidates will have prevailed in the city’s historic first school board election. The winners will join 11 other board members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Background on the Election
Custer was the Chicago Teachers Union-endorsed candidate in District 1, while Boyle and Smith positioned themselves as independent candidates.
Ballot Issues in District 10
A spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections said on Tuesday that voters in a number of precincts were given ballots with the wrong school board district candidates. That happened because the new school board district boundaries do not follow ward and precinct lines, the spokesman, Max Bever said at the time. He said he believed the issue was addressed fairly quickly, and the board did not know how many voters experienced it.
Karin Norington-Reaves’ Concerns
Karin Norington-Reaves, the District 10 candidate who finished second behind Smith, said she is not conceding and is considering legal steps. She said all mail-in and early ballots must be counted and she argued Thursday that voters receiving ballots for the wrong school district denied them the opportunity to participate in the city’s first school board election. She said she has retained a lawyer.
Conclusion
The results of the Chicago school board election are slowly coming into focus, with two races settled and one still too close to call. While some controversy has surrounded the election, the winners will join 11 other board members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to shape the future of Chicago’s public schools.
FAQs
* What are the results of the Chicago school board election?
+ Two races have been settled, with Therese Boyle winning in District 9 and Che “Rhymefest” Smith winning in District 10. The race in District 1 is still too close to call.
* What is the controversy surrounding the election?
+ Some voters in District 10 were given ballots with the wrong school board district candidates, which may have affected the outcome of the race.
* What is the next step in the election process?
+ The Chicago Board of Elections will continue to count mail-in and provisional ballots over the weekend, with the results expected to be finalized soon.
