Chicago Voters Choose From Three Candidates for First Elected School Board President

Chicago voters will select a president for the Board of Education for the first time in the 2026 midterm election. This change ends a practice in which the mayor appointed the board president and 11 of the 21 board members. Under the new rules, all positions on the board, including the presidency, are elected by the public. The school board election is nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not run under a political party banner.

The president of the Board of Education presides over meetings, helps set the agenda, and serves as the public representative for the district. Three candidates appear on the ballot for this inaugural race. Jennifer Custer and Sendhil Revuluri withdrew from the contest, but Revuluri's name remains on the ballot because he dropped out after early voting started on Sept. 24.

Jessica Biggs is a sitting school board member for District 6B, which covers the Loop and parts of South Side neighborhoods. Biggs is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and principal. She lives in Bronzeville, and her daughter attends a CPS school.

Hilario Dominguez served as a special education teacher at Pablo Casals Elementary School in West Humboldt Park. He also worked as a deputy political director for the Chicago Teacher's Union, which has endorsed his candidacy. His wife is an assistant principal in CPS, and he stated that he plans to enroll his son in public school.

Victor Henderson is an attorney and former certified public accountant. He manages Henderson Parks LLC, a firm specializing in corporate litigation. Henderson serves as a board member for Urban Prep Academies, a network of all-boys charter schools in Chicago. He noted that his children, parents, and in-laws have attended CPS schools.

The board faces financial questions as it prepares to take office. The district relies on $150 million in state funding that has not yet been approved by the Board of Education. This budget uncertainty provides context for the new leadership transition as the district moves toward a fully elected governance structure.