Chicago voters will elect the city’s first elected school board president on November 3, with a closely watched contest between Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez and Victor Henderson overshadowed by disputes over campaign conduct and the candidates’ records.
The citywide race is part of a wider change to the Chicago Board of Education, with voters also choosing 20 members from newly created subdistricts. The successful candidates will take office on January 15, 2027.
Mr Dominguez, a former Chicago Teachers Union political director, has remained in the contest after the Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General reopened an investigation into allegations dating back to when he worked at The Resurrection Project.
The allegations concern claims made by a woman who says she was 17 at the time. Mr Dominguez has denied wrongdoing, described the claims as politically motivated and said he would co-operate with investigators. The Chicago Teachers Union continues to support his candidacy.
Mr Henderson, a trial lawyer, has called on Mr Dominguez to withdraw, arguing that the inquiry may not be completed before polling day. Ms Biggs has also demanded a transparent account of how the inspector general previously handled the matter.
Ms Biggs, an elected board member, has faced separate attacks over her record and campaign funding. Mailers backed by Our Schools Action, a political action committee supported by the teachers’ union, have questioned her links to wealthy donors and her position on school closures.
Fact-checking by Chalkbeat found that Ms Biggs had received substantial backing from billionaire donor Michael Sacks, but also funding from the Service Employees International Union. It reported that claims linking her to Donald Trump were not supported by evidence, although some of her donors had previously given money to Republican candidates.
The campaign has also featured attacks on Mr Dominguez over unpaid property taxes connected to a family-owned home in Pilsen. He said the family had been on a payment plan since February, while county records showed the debt was being addressed through that arrangement.
The election will mark the end of the mayor’s longstanding power to appoint the board president. The race has drawn significant spending from unions, charter-school advocates and wealthy donors, turning the contest into a wider battle over the future direction and finances of Chicago Public Schools.
