Biggs Wins Chicago Board Presidency

Jessica Biggs will lead the Chicago Board of Education starting in January, having declared victory on Tuesday after counting 94% of the precincts. The former Chicago Public Schools principal and current board member outpaced two rivals to become the first elected president of the board. Associated Press results show she captured 49% of the total votes cast.

Biggs pledged to focus on student learning and build a coalition with state partners to secure additional funding for CPS. She also promised to protect students from what she called attacks by President Donald Trump. In her victory speech, Biggs stated that the path ahead would not be easy and that the challenges facing the district are enormous, ranging from finances to enrollment.

Hilario Domínguez, the candidate backed by the Chicago Teachers Union, finished second with nearly 31% of the vote. The lawyer Victor Henderson placed third with 17%. Domínguez did not concede on Tuesday night, criticizing billionaire Michael Sacks for injecting money into the contest. He argued that his campaign relied on common families rather than large checks, stating that the people of Chicago were not for sale.

Henderson also withheld his concession, explaining that as an attorney, he needed to verify the details before accepting defeat. He thanked supporters at a restaurant on the Near West Side for their assistance during the campaign. The race attracted substantial financial attention, with candidates raising a combined total of more than $8.3 million directly.

Biggs raised close to $1.9 million, while Domínguez raised $1.7 million. Henderson raised approximately $700,000, most of which he lent to his own campaign. When including super PAC spending, the total cost of the election reached $13.9 million. Groups opposed to Domínguez spent $3.5 million against him, while CTU-funded PACs spent only $577,000 in support.

The new board president faces an immediate budget deficit. This year's budget relies on additional state funds during a late-month veto session, though Governor JB Pritzker suggested those talks have not yet occurred. CPS currently operates with only 70% of the funding required by the state formula, down from 79% two years ago. Enrollment also dropped by 11,500 students this year, reaching 304,700, the lowest number in more than two decades.