Chicago Alderperson Races: Winners, Losers, Runoffs

CHICAGO — There will be a lot of new “little mayors” on the Chicago City Council when members are sworn in after the April runoff. The Feb. 28 primary, where candidates had to win 50 + 1 to avoid a runoff, was the first council election to be held in redrawn wards in the once-in-a-decade remapping after each U.S. Census.

Out of Chicago’s 1,581,564 registered voters, 543,104 voters cast ballots in the Feb. 28, 2023 primary election, where candidates needed to garner 50 + 1 votes to avoid a runoff. Chicagoans set a record for early voting, with more than 250,000 casting early ballots at the polls or by mail. In-person voting was sluggish, with 34.34% of voters turning out on the Tuesday election day, election officials said.

The 19th Ward, where Ald. Matt O'Shea fended off two challengers, cruising into his fourth term, had the highest turnout of the city's 50 wards, with 55 percent of the ward's registered voters casting votes.

Sixteen sitting aldermen resigned or called it quits over the past year, resulting in crowded ward races with multiple candidates. There were at least 40 contested races, 29 featuring incumbents. Voters in a dozen wards picked new aldermen where current aldermen decided not to run.

At least 31 incumbents won outright or were one of the top two vote-getters in 14 races that appeared headed to a runoff, according to unofficial vote tallies. Some of those outcomes could change when mail-in votes are counted over the next few weeks, which could give some of those candidates the 50 + 1 needed to avoid a second round.

Current elected aldermen fared better than the four appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who lost her reelection bid after one term in a nine-way mayoral race. Three Lightfoot appointees — Nicole Lee appointed to fill Patrick Daley Thompson’s seat in the 12th Ward, following his conviction on corruption charges; Monique Scott in the 24th; and Timmy Knudson in the 43rd — appear headed for runoffs.

Lightfoot-appointee Anabel Abarca lost outright to Julia M. Ramirez, who hauled in 56 percent of the 12th Ward vote. All the appointees declined to, or dodged, endorsing the now outgoing mayor.

Jeylu N. Gutierrez won in a landslide with 65.12 percent over Ald. Ed Burke-endorsed candidate Raul Reyes in the 14th Ward. The city council’s longest serving alderman, Burke stepped aside after five decades amid an indictment on corruption charges.

Here is what is known so far in contested races. All results are unofficial:

1st Ward - Runoff

Daniel La Spata - 6,375 (49.44%)
Sam Royko - 3,084 (23.92%)
(out of 4)

4th Ward - Runoff

Lamont Robinson - 5,470 (46.22%)
Prentice Butler - 1,784 (15.07%)
(out of 6)

5th Ward - Runoff

Desmon C. Yancy - 2,342 (26.21%)
Martina “Tina” Hone - 1,595 (17.85%)
(out of 11)

6th Ward - Runoff

William C. Hall - 2,405 (23.74%)
Richard Wooten - 2,362 (23.31%)
(out of 11)

8th Ward

Michelle A. Harris - 8,442 (70.76%)
Sean M. Flynn - 1,351 (11.32%)
Linda Hudson - 2,137 (17.91%)

9th Ward

Anthony M. Beale - 6,150 (60.35%)
Cleopatra Draper - 3,228 (31.68%)
Cameron M. Barnes - 812 (7.97%)

10th Ward - Runoff

Peter Chico - 3,250 (40.79%)
Ana Guajardo - 2,119 (26.59%)
(out of 5)

11th Ward - Runoff

Nicole Lee - 3,378 (30.61%)
Anthony “Tony” Ciaravino - 3,325 (30.13%)
(out of 7)

12th Ward

Julia Ramirez - 3,216 (56.60%)
Anabel Abarca (Lightfoot appointee) - 2,446 (43.40%)

13th Ward

Marty Quinn - 11,037 (87.89%)
Paul Bruton - 1,521 (12.11%)

14th Ward

Jeylu B. Gutierrez - 3,001 (65.27%)
Raul Reyes - 1,597 (34.73%)

15th Ward

Raymond Lopez - 3,057 (64.39%)
Victoria “Vicko” Alvarez - 1,135 (23.90%)
Gloria Ann Williams - 556 (11.71%)

16th Ward

Stephanie D. Coleman - 3,868 (77.97%)
Carolyn Denise Crump - 632 (12.68%)
Eddie Johnson III - 485 (9.73%)

18th Ward

Derrick Curtis - 7.099 (61.26%)
Heather Mills - 4,489 (38.74%)

19th Ward

Matthew O’Shea - 13,982 (63.31%)
Michael T. Cummings - 6,892 (31.21%)
Timothy “Tim” Noonan - 1,212 (5.49%)

20th Ward

Jeanette B. Taylor - 3,217 (52.27%)
Jennifer Maddox - 1,640 (26.65%)
Andre Smith - 1,298 (21.09%)

21st Ward - Runoff

Cornell Dantzler - 2,810 (22.03%)
Ronnie Mosley - 3,167 (24.83%)

22nd Ward

Michael D. Rodriguez - 2,981 (66.46%)
Neftalie Gonzalez - 6,921 (15.63%)
Kristian R. Armendariz - 793 (17.91)

23rd Ward

Silvana Tabares - 6,384 (73.11%)
Eddie Guillen - 2,348 (26.89%)

24th Ward - Runoff

Monique Scott - 2,945 (45.36%)
Creativ Scott - 963 (14.83%)
(out of 8)

25th Ward

Byron Sigcho Lopez - 3,944 (52.53%)
Aida Flores - 3,565 (47.47%)

26th Ward

Jessica “Jessie” Fuentes - 4,541 (54.74%)
Julian Perez - 2,738 (33.30%)
Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez - 1,017 (12.26%)

28th Ward

Jason C. Ervin - 4,317 (75.66%)
Shawn A. Walker - 1,389 (24.34%)

29th Ward

Chris Taliaferro - 4,713 (50.42%)
CB Johnson - 3,785 (40.49%)
Corey Dooley - 849 (9.09%)

30th Ward – Runoff

Jessica W. Gutierrez - 3,674 (38.25%)
Ruth Cruz - 2,648 (27.57%)
(out of 4)

31st Ward

Felix Cardona Jr. - 4,879 (81.11%)
Esteben Burgoa Ontion - 1,136 (18.89%)

33rd Ward

Rossana Rodriguez - 5,203 (53.63%)
Samie Martinez - 3,401 (35.05%)
Laith Shaaban - 1,098 (11.32%)

34th Ward

Bill Conway - 4,999 (66.65%)
Jim Ascot - 2,501 (33.35%)

36th Ward - Runoff

Gilbert “Gil” Villegas – 4,028 (47.53%)
Leonor “Lori” Torres - 2,450 (28.91%)

37th Ward

Emma Mitts - 4,286 (62.74%)
Howard Ray - 1,839 (26.92%)

38th Ward

Nicholas Sposato - 7,096 (55.64%)
Ed Bannon - 3,379 (26.49%)
Frances Reyes - 597 (4.68%)
Cynthia Santos - 1,345 (10.55%)
Bruce Randazzo - 337 (2.64%)

39th Ward

Samantha “Sam” Nugent - 8,558 (63.45%)
Denali Dasgupta - 4,929 (36.55%)

40th Ward

Andre Vasquez - 9,514 (77.92%)
Christian Blum - 1,848 (15.14%)
Jane Lucas - 848 (6.95%)

41st Ward

Anthony V. Napolitano - 12,430 (73.83%)
Paul Struebing - 4,407 (26.17%)

43rd Ward - Runoff

Timmy Knudsen - 3,583 (26.86%)
Brian C. Comer - 3,239 (24.28%)
(out of 6)

45th Ward - Runoff

James “Jim” Gardiner - 7,461 (49.55%)
Megan Mathias - 2,434 (16.16%)
(out of 6)

46th Ward - Runoff

Angela Clay - 5,370 (35.92%)
Kim Walz - 3,859 (25.82%)
(out of 6)

48th Ward - Runoff

Joe Dunne - 4,060 (26.64%)
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth - 3,418 (22.43%)
(out of 10)

49th Ward

Maria Hadden - 7,810 (73.24%)
Belia Rodriguez - 1,794 (16.82%)
William “Bill” Morton - 1,060 (9.94%)

50th Ward

Debra Silverstein - 6,834 (67.64%)
Mueze Bawany - 3,269 (32.36%)

Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners