Jessica Biggs has claimed victory in Chicago’s first election for a fully elected Board of Education president, after unofficial results put the current board member well ahead of her two main challengers.
With more than 90% of precincts reporting, Ms Biggs had received 48.9% of the vote, according to the returns. Hilario Dominguez, a former political director of the Chicago Teachers Union, was on 30.7%, while trial attorney Victor Henderson had 17.7%. Former board vice president Sendhil Revuluri, who had withdrawn from the contest, was still listed on the ballot and had received 2.7%.
Ms Biggs declared victory on Tuesday night, presenting the result as a mandate for a change in direction at Chicago Public Schools. Her campaign has focused on restoring confidence in the district, supporting staff and addressing the financial pressures facing the system.
“Families are tired of chaos and uncertainty. They want stability, and they want this board to turn its focus back to our students.”
A new form of accountability
The successful candidate will lead Chicago’s first fully elected Board of Education, a change that will alter how the body answers to the city’s communities. In her victory speech, Ms Biggs said the new board would be accountable to Chicago residents and pledged to keep pupils at the centre of its work.
The result is therefore likely to be closely watched by families, teachers and school leaders as the incoming board establishes its priorities. Ms Biggs has argued that schools need greater stability, trusted leadership and stronger support for teachers. Her campaign message also placed responsibility on the board to focus on the day-to-day experience of pupils and families rather than allowing uncertainty to dominate the system.
Financial pressure at the centre of the campaign
One of the most immediate challenges facing the new leadership will be the district’s financial position. Ms Biggs, a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and principal, campaigned on a five-year plan intended to strengthen the system’s finances, improve its credit rating and increase its cash reserves.
She has said the deficit cannot be resolved by one institution acting alone. Her proposed approach would bring together partners from Chicago’s city government and the state of Illinois around a shared, multi-year financial plan, with responsibilities clearly allocated. She also said that demonstrating responsible spending would be important if the district was to persuade legislators in Springfield to provide further investment.
| Candidate | Unofficial share |
|---|---|
| Jessica Biggs | 48.9% |
| Hilario Dominguez | 30.7% |
| Victor Henderson | 17.7% |
| Sendhil Revuluri | 2.7% |
What the new board will inherit
The election places a former classroom teacher and principal at the head of a board facing expectations from several groups: families seeking dependable schools, teachers looking for institutional support and public officials concerned about the district’s finances. Ms Biggs’ platform attempts to address all three pressures through a combination of financial planning and a renewed emphasis on schools.
Her campaign said it raised more than $1.8 million from about 400 donors. The scale of that fundraising underlines the political attention surrounding the first election of its kind in Chicago, although the available results remain unofficial and more than 10% of precincts had yet to report when Ms Biggs claimed victory.
- The new board will be fully elected rather than appointed.
- Ms Biggs has made financial recovery and stronger reserves central to her plans.
- Her stated priorities include stability, teacher support and a stronger focus on pupils.
The incoming president will now be expected to turn those campaign commitments into a workable programme for the district. Ms Biggs has said that cooperation between the board, City Hall and the state will be essential, while her victory speech placed the interests of students and families at the heart of the new arrangement.
