The Maroon has Hyde Park and UChicago voters covered with information on Election 2024.

UChicago and the Hyde Park and Woodlawn communities straddle multiple districts for the Illinois House of Representatives and Chicago School Board races. Check which House district you reside in and which school board district you reside in.

Ballot Measures:

Note: A ballot measure is a law, issue, or question posed to the voters. In this election, all ballot measures are advisory questions, which are non-binding and are meant to gauge public opinion on issues.

Illinois Assisted Reproductive Healthcare Advisory Question

This ballot measure will ask voters whether medically assisted reproductive treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, should be covered by any health insurance plan that already provides full coverage for pregnancy-related treatments.

Illinois Income Tax Advisory Question

This measure will ask voters whether an additional 3 percent tax on income exceeding $1,000,000 should be instituted to fund property tax relief.

Illinois Penalties for Candidate Interference with Election Workers’ Duties Advisory Question

This measure will ask voters whether candidates who interfere with or attempt to interfere with election workers’ duties should be subject to civil penalties.

Federal:

President of the United States

Kamala Harris (Democratic Party): Harris currently serves as the vice president of the United States. Some of her key policy focuses include expanding reproductive rights, healthcare access, and homeownership access, as well as taking action against climate change. Her running mate, Tim Walz, is the governor of Minnesota.

Donald Trump (Republican Party): Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, has remained a central figure within his party for the past four years. His campaign has focused heavily on national security, especially immigration, deregulation, and economic policy. His running mate, J.D. Vance, is a U.S. senator from Ohio.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent): Kennedy has endorsed Trump and announced that his campaign is suspended, but his name is still on the ballot in Illinois. He is an environmental attorney and activist who gained attention for his stance towards vaccinations when he opposed state and federal COVID-19 restrictions. His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is an attorney in Silicon Valley.

U.S. House Illinois District 1

Jonathan Jackson (Incumbent) (Democratic Party): Jackson is from Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood and earned his M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. Before taking public office, he launched many telecom, distribution, and construction businesses and taught finance and entrepreneurship at City Colleges of Chicago. According to his website, Jackson is committed to improving access to education and healthcare and raising awareness about innocence and juvenile justice issues.

Marcus Lewis (Republican Party): Lewis is a former postal worker for the United States Postal Service, an ordained Apostolic Pentecostal minister, and a community activist. He leads grassroots efforts to educate voters on conservative principles such as limited government and fiscal restraint. According to his website, Lewis supports mass deportations of illegal immigrants and sealing the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as supporting Donald Trump.

State:

Only one state race out of 10 is contested.

Illinois House of Representatives District 26

Kambium Buckner (Democratic Party): Buckner is from the South Side of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University College of Law. In the past, he has worked with United States Senator Dick Durbin, served as the executive director of World Sport Chicago, and has led government and neighborhood relations for the Chicago Cubs. According to his website, Buckner is pro-choice, committed to investing in higher education, and wants to provide opportunities for business growth. Buckner is also a current UChicago Institute of Politics Pritzker fellow.

Audrey Barrett (Republican Party): Barrett is from the South Side of Chicago and is the CEO and founder of Kingdom 4U Health and Wellness. She is a nurse who has worked in pediatric home health since starting her career. According to her website, Barrett’s top issues include crime, education, the drug crisis, and lack of access to healthcare.

Local:

Of the 46 races on the local ballot, only 10 are contested:

Cook County Clerk

The Cook County clerk maintains vital records for the county, administers parts of the real estate tax process, and makes Statements of Economic Interests and lobbyist registrations available to the public. They also serve as the chief election officer for the county and the clerk of the County Board of Commissioners.

Monica Gordon (Democratic Party): Gordon is currently a Cook County commissioner and earned her B.A. from Northern Illinois University and her M.A. from Governors State University. According to the Cook County website, she serves on 14 Cook County Board Committees and is the vice-chair of the transportation and tax delinquency committees. Before assuming this office, Gordon was the director of government relations at Chicago State University.

Michelle Pennington (Republican Party): Pennington grew up in the suburbs of Dallas and moved to Chicago after college. In the past, she worked for iWorks, an early internet startup, and was the vice president of operations at Computers for School, a partnership which worked to put donated computers into Chicago public schools. Additionally, she has run a real estate business since 2007. According to her website, some of her top issues include election integrity, equitable representation of election judges, and bringing the clerk’s office workforce back to working in office five days a week.

Christopher Laurent (Libertarian Party): Laurent grew up in New Orleans and, after earning his B.A., enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After completing his service, Laurent began working at a local law firm and has since contributed his time to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, an organization of which he is a senior vice commander. According to his website, his top issues include election integrity, property rights protection, power decentralization, and community engagement.

Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court

The Cook County clerk of the Circuit Court manages all administrative functions of the circuit courts in Cook County, including managing court records and overseeing court proceedings.

Mariyana Spyropoulos (Democratic Party): Spyropoulos grew up on the South Side of Chicago and earned her law degree at University of Illinois Chicago Law and her M.B.A. from Loyola University Chicago. She has also served as president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners and as an assistant state’s attorney. According to her website, her top issues include fighting corruption and misconduct, digitizing all court files, and bringing the courts to the communities by expanding expungement summits.

Lupe Aguirre (Republican Party): Aguirre is a real estate attorney with an M.A. in public administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He operates a law firm in Chicago that focuses on real estate, family, and business law.

Michael Murphy (Libertarian Party): Murphy worked in information technology and moved to Cook County in 2021. According to his website, his goals include minimizing taxpayer expenses and promoting accountability within the clerk’s office.

Cook County State’s Attorney

The Cook County state’s attorney is the county’s chief prosecutor, responsible for prosecuting criminal cases, managing the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and representing the county in civil proceedings.

Eileen O’Neill Burke (Democratic Party): Burke was raised on the Northwest Side and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Chicago-Kent College of Law. She worked as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney for 10 years, then as a criminal defense attorney. She also served as a justice on Illinois’s First District Appellate Court. According to her website, her top issues include stopping the flow of illegal guns into Chicago, starting programs that fight historic disinvestment in neighborhoods, and rebuilding the State’s Attorney’s Office after attrition.

Bob Fioretti (Republican Party): Fioretti is an attorney who worked as the senior supervising attorney of the General Litigation Division. He has been involved in over 500 civil rights cases and has been appointed several times as an Illinois special assistant attorney general and special assistant state’s attorney. According to his website, his top issues include removing undocumented immigrants, standing up for victims of violent crime and their families, and enforcing the law “as written.”

Andrew Charles Kopinski (Libertarian Party): Kopinski has lived in Cook County for his entire life and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has also worked as an accountant, real estate broker, and lawyer, focusing on transactional law. According to his website, his biggest goal is to reduce violent crime and property crime in the county.

La Grange Highlands Sanitary District Trustee Board At-large

Trustees oversee the local sanitary district to ensure proper wastewater and sewage management.

Francis A. Jakubka (Nonpartisan): The Maroon could not find information on this candidate.

Philip C. Sirotzke (Nonpartisan): The Maroon could not find information on this candidate.

Cook County Board of Review District 3

The Board of Review handles property owners’ appeals regarding taxes and ensures equitable tax rates.

Larry R. Rogers Jr. (Incumbent) (Democratic Party): Rogers has been a trial attorney for more than a decade and assumed this office in 2004. According to his website, Rogers has used his office to increase community awareness through technology and has also streamlined the appeals process. He also says he is committed to accountability, transparency, and ensuring no citizen is overtaxed on their properties.

Nico Tsatsoulis (Libertarian Party): Tsatsoulis moved to Chicago at 19 and earned a B.A. and M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago. In the past, he has worked in finance, retail and wholesale, and real estate in Chicago and overseas. In 2024, he was elected the Libertarian committeeperson for the Fifth Ward. According to his website, he is advocating for reducing reliance on property taxes by finding alternative sources of taxation.

Chicago Public Schools School Board District 6

School board members oversee public schools within their district and make decisions concerning budgets, programs, and staffing.

Jessica Biggs (Nonpartisan): Biggs is a former middle and high school teacher and was the principal in CPS at Burke Elementary School for six years. She has been recognized by the Bronzeville Alliance, the Bronzeville Community Action Council, the Southeast Chicago Commission, Metropolitan Family Services, and the mayor of Chicago for her community leadership. According to her website, she aims to make schools inclusive and believes learning should offer real-world applications. She is also committed to ensuring magnet, specialty, and selective enrollment schools are accessible to families.

Andre Smith (Nonpartisan): Smith is a community leader and founder of “Chicago Against Violence,” an anti-violence initiative that collaborates with local police, community organizations, and residents. He is also the vice chair of the Washington Park Resident Advisory Council, which aims to enhance the quality of life for neighborhood residents. According to his website, some of his primary goals include increasing proficiency in reading and math, increasing transparency and community engagement, expanding busing and transportation opinions, and promoting Career and Technical Education (CTE).

Anusha Thotakura (Nonpartisan): Thotakura is a former middle school math teacher. According to her website, her primary goals include prioritizing and expanding access to quality Pre-K programs, investing in student mental health by ensuring every school has a counselor and social worker, and improving access to Career and Technical Education (CTE).

Danielle Wallace (Nonpartisan) (Write-in): Wallace worked in CPS as a clerk and disciplinarian for over 15 years. According to her responses to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, she is running for the Board of Education to provide every child with equitable resources, mental health support, and quality education. She advocates for community-centered solutions, including more community partnerships, co-creating solutions with parents, and transparent decision-making processes.

Chicago Public Schools School Board District 10

School board members oversee public schools within their district and make decisions concerning budgets, programs, and staffing.

Robert Jones (Nonpartisan): Jones is a pastor and community organizer from Bronzeville. According to his website, he supports school funding equity, providing a holistic learning environment, scheduling community engagement, and engaging with local school councils.

Karin Norington-Reaves (Nonpartisan): Reaves is a Chicago Public Schools graduate and a school board member who has been a workforce development leader for over a decade. She began her career as a teacher before launching her legal career with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Citizens Utility Board. According to her website, she has focused on education access for children with disabilities, economic development, and district-wide career programming in the past.

Adam Parrott-Sheffer (Nonpartisan): Parrott-Sheffer is an educator and former principal with over 20 years of experience working with schools. According to his website, he supports building an inclusive community for LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students experiencing uncertain housing or food scarcity.

Che Smith (Nonpartisan): Smith, also known as “Rhymefest,” is a recording artist, actor, and community advocate who has won two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe. According to his website, Smith focuses on teacher recruitment and retention, community engagement, data-driven decision-making, and transportation and accessibility.

Rosita Chatonda (Write-in) (Nonpartisan): Chatonda has a doctorate in education and believes one of the district’s most urgent needs is addressing low literacy rates. According to her Facebook, Chatonda aims for equity across all schools and believes all students, especially those in inner-city communities, deserve access to a quality education.

Cook County Circuit Court (James Flannery vacancy) 

Circuit Court judges handle civil and criminal cases at the county level, presiding over trials and ruling on cases.

Pablo deCastro (Democratic Party): DeCastro was a trial attorney in Chicago for 28 years before becoming a judge. He has experience in trial courts and appeals in state and federal courts. According to his website, he also volunteers at the UChicago Crime Lab, where he implements strategies to improve the criminal justice system. DeCastro graduated from UChicago in 1991, where he majored in philosophy, and from 2019–2022, he taught in UChicago Law School’s Intensive Trial Practice Program.

Tien Glaub (Republican Party): Glaub is a prosecutor who helps manage administrative adjudication at the City of Chicago’s hearings facility. According to her website, she aims to ensure judicial power is used to render justice to all parties, especially for residents who don’t receive adequate protection against crime.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (three seats up for election, voters may choose three candidates)

This body oversees wastewater treatment in Cook County and is responsible for safeguarding water resources and maintaining treatment facilities.

Marcelino Garcia (Incumbent) (Democratic Party): Garcia is an attorney with specialties in local and international government, healthcare, and community affairs. He currently serves as the director of community affairs for the Cook County Health & Hospitals System. According to his website, he aims to conserve and preserve resources and the environment to eliminate the harmful effects of untreated wastewater.

Kari Steele (Incumbent) (Democratic Party): Steele is serving her third term as president of the Board of Commissioners. She is a chemist, environmentalist, and licensed real estate broker and has experience working as a water chemist for a purification plant in Chicago. According to her website, she has been a part of initiatives that promote local green infrastructure, reduce flooding, and increase sewer capacity.

Sharon Waller (Democratic Party): Waller is a licensed professional environmental engineer with 30 years of experience in the water industry. She also has a Ph.D. in water quality studies and is the president of the River Park Advisory Council. Her website shows her primary goals, which include flood management, clean water, and climate resilience.

Claire Connelly (Republican Party): Connelly has a background in nonprofit fundraising and advocates for clean and safe water for all. According to her website, she also aims to protect the environment and promote transparency in government.

Richard Dale (Republican Party): The Maroon could not find information on this candidate.

Brendan Ehlers (Republican Party): The Maroon could not find information on this candidate.

Toneal Jackson (Green Party): According to Ballotpedia, Jackson has experience as an outreach and community engagement entrepreneur. She served as a Local Schools Council chairperson for over a decade and has been the Cook County Green Party chairwoman for two years. She advocates for community engagement and protecting the environment.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (special election)

This is a special election to fill a vacancy in the same body as above.

Precious Brady-Davis (Incumbent) (Democratic Party): Brady-Davis is currently serving as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner. According to her website, she is focused on protecting Lake Michigan, Chicago’s primary source of drinking water, as well as shielding homeowners and businesses from urban flooding.

R. Cary Capparelli (Republican Party): Capparelli is an online instructor at South Dakota State University in geography and geosciences and previously served on the Illinois International Port District board. According to his website, his mission is to make the agency more accountable and to combat the current spending habits, which he believes are poor.