The 2019 Chicago aldermanic election took place in two rounds on February 26 and April 2, 2019, to elect 50

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members the ...

to the

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is gaveled into session regularly, usually mon ...

. Each alderman represents one of Chicago's 50 wards. The elections are non-partisan and use a

two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...

where the top two finishers compete in a second-round run-off if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round. The elections were party of the 2019 Chicago elections, which included elections for

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, City Clerk, City Treasurer. Of the 50 incumbent aldermen 45 ran for re-election. Incumbents did not run in the 20th, 22nd, 25th, 39th, and 47th wards. Five aldermen ran unopposed: Brian Hopkins (2nd ward), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Gilbert Villegas (36th), Brendan Reilly (42nd), and Nicholas Sposato (38th). Three aldermen were defeated in the first round, and four more were defeated in run-off elections. There were a total of 12 new aldermen elected:

Daniel La Spata Daniel La Spata (born February 26, 1981) is a Chicago politician. He has served as the alderman of Chicago's 1st ward since May 2019. He won election to that office after defeating incumbent Proco Joe Moreno in the 2019 Chicago aldermanic electio ...

(1st ward), Stephanie Coleman (16th), Jeanette Taylor (20th), Michael Rodriguez (22nd),

Byron Sigcho-Lopez Byron Sigcho-Lopez (born July 7, 1983) is a Chicago politician and community activist. He is the alderman of Chicago's 25th ward, having taken office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. He won an open race to succeed outgoing ...

(25th), Felix Cardona (31st), Rossana Rodríguez (33rd), Samantha Nugent (39th),

Andre Vasquez Andre Vasquez (born May 21, 1979) is a Chicago politician, community organizer, and former rapper. He is the alderman of the city's 40th ward. He won election to that office after defeating incumbent Patrick O'Connor in the 2019 Chicago alderm ...

(40th), Jim Gardiner (45th), Matt Martin (47th), and Maria Hadden (49th). After the election, the council's Progressive Caucus grew from 10 to 18 members and a new 6-member Socialist Caucus was formed.

Overview

Campaign

Candidates for city council are required to submit 473 valid signatures from registered voters in their ward to appear on the ballot. A total of 212 candidates submitted nominating petitions, an increase from 184 candidates in the 2015 election. However, the total number of candidates is lower than the 351 candidates in 2011, the last municipal election that, like 2019, had an open race for mayor. In the first round, three aldermen who ran for re-election lost their seats. There were run-offs elections in 14 wards: 10 races where incumbents are running, and four races for open seats. At least three additional incumbent aldermen were defeated in run-off elections.

Seat changes

Election calendar

For candidates

For voters

North Side

1st ward

Incumbent alderman Proco Joe Moreno unsuccessfully sought reelection. Moreno had been appointed alderman in 2010 by Mayor

Richard M. Daley Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1989 to 2011. Daley was elected mayor in 1989 and was reelected five times until declining to run for a seventh term ...

, and had subsequently been reelected in 2011 and 2015. Moreno ultimately lost reelection to his sole challenger,

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, Treasurer in 2019 congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, 2016, and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate *Justin Tucker One candidate was removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures:
Justin Tucker
The following candidate filed nominating petitions but withdrew before ballot certification: * Trevor Grant, statistician and data scientist, Illinois National Guard Veteran

Campaign

Moreno and La Spata appeared at a candidate forum hosted by Logan Square Preservation on January 8, 2019.

Endorsements

Results

2nd ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Brian Hopkins won reelection, running unopposed on the ballot.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate * Mollie May Brady

Endorsements

Results

32nd ward

Incumbent third-term alderman Scott Waguespack won reelection, running unopposed on the ballot. He appeared at a candidate forum covering the Logan Square neighborhood on January 8, 2019.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

40th ward

Incumbent ninth-term alderman Patrick J. O'Connor unsuccessfully sought reelection, being defeated by

in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Campaigns

A candidate forum organized by several community organizations was scheduled on January 29, 2019.

Results

42nd ward

Incumbent third-term alderman Brendan Reilly won reelection, running unopposed on the ballot.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Results

43rd ward

Incumbent second-term alderman Michele Smith won reelection, defeating Derek Lindblom in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate One candidate was removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures:
Matthew Roney
, student at DePaul University

Endorsements

=First round

=Runoff

Results

44th ward

Incumbent fourth-term alderman Tom Tunney won reelection.

Candidates

The following candidate filed nominating petitions but withdrew before ballot certification:
Patrick Shine
U.S. Air Force veteran, co-founder of non-profit This Is My Country, Inc. One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

46th ward

Incumbent second-term alderman James Cappleman won reelection, defeating Marianne Lalonde in a runoff by a margin of only 25 votes (0.09% of the votes cast in the runoff).

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Joann Breivogel * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

47th ward

Incumbent second-term alderman Ameya Pawar did not seek reelection as alderman, opting to instead run (unsuccessfully) for City Treasurer of Chicago. Matt Martin was elected to succeed him, defeating Michael Negron in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Campaign

All candidates, except Kastafaros, appeared at a forum focused on education issues on January 17, 2019. All candidates, except Ladien and Schwartzers, appeared at a forum on business issues on January 24. A third forum hosted by several neighborhood Chambers of Commerce was scheduled on January 26.

Endorsements

;Runoff

Results

48th ward

Incumbent second-term alderman Harry Osterman won reelection, defeating David Williams III, his sole challenger.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

49th ward

Incumbent seventh-term alderman Joe Moore unsuccessfully sought reelection. He was defeated by Maria Hadden, his sole challenger. Through this election, the victor Maria Hadden made history as the first LGBTQ woman of color to be elected to Chicago's City Council.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate * Bill Morton Two candidates were removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures:
Bill Morton
, president of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce
Nathan Ben Myers

Campaign

Hadden and Moore both identify as

progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techn ...

, but their policy positions differ sharply on a number of issues, including policing, accepting donations from developers, use of

tax-increment financing Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program is ...

, and

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

expansion. Both candidates participated in a debate hosted at Sullivan High School on January 15, 2019. At the debate, they disagreed on a number of issues, including a freeze on new charter schools (Hadden supported one; Moore did not), funding for a new police training facility (Moore supported the ongoing proposal; Hadden did not), and use of tax-increment financing for the proposed Lincoln Yards project (Moore was in favor; Hadden was opposed). In February 2019, a controversy emerged when two photographers alleged that the Moore campaign used their photographs in campaign advertisements without permission or attribution. Another controversy emerged late in the campaign when a Moore staffer accused a 15 year old Hadden volunteer (and former Moore intern) of espionage.

Endorsements

Results

50th ward

Incumbent second-term alderman Debra Silverstein won reelection.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate The following candidate filed nominating petitions but withdrew before ballot certification: * Majid Mustafa

Endorsements

Campaigns

A candidate forum is scheduled for February 10, 2019.

Results

Northwest Side

26th ward

Incumbent alderman Roberto Maldonado won reelection. Maldonado had been first appointed by Mayor

in 2009, and had subsequently been reelected in 2011 and 2015.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate * Mirko "Limo Mike Z" Zaplatic, Jr Two candidates were removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures:
Angee Gonzalez
*Mirko "Limo Mike Z." Zaplatic Jr.

Endorsements

Results

30th ward

Incumbent fourth-term alderman Ariel Reboyras won reelection, defeating Jessica Gutierrez in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

31st ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Milly Santiago unsuccessfully sought reelection, losing to Felix Cardona, Jr. in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

Endorsements

;Runoff

Results

33rd ward

Incumbent alderman Deb Mell unsuccessfully sought reelection. Mell had first been appointed by Mayor

Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...

in 2013, and had subsequently been reelected in 2015. She was defeated by Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate The following candidates submitted nominating petition signatures but withdrew before the certification process: * Joel Zawko

Endorsements

;First round ;Runoff

Campaign

All three candidates appeared at a candidate forum hosted at Bateman Elementary School on February 7, 2019. The forum was originally scheduled for January 30 but was postponed due to the polar vortex.

Results

35th ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa was reelected, defeating Amanda Yu Dieterich, his sole challenger.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate Two candidates were removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures: * Mayra Gonzalez *Walter Zarnecki, Republican Party nominee for Cook County Board Commissioner for the 8th district

Endorsements

Campaign

Dieterich and Ramirez-Rosa appeared at a candidate forum hosted by Logan Square Preservation on January 8, 2019.

Results

36th ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Gilbert Villegas was reelected, running unopposed on the ballot.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Results

38th ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Nicholas Sposato was reelected, running unopposed on the ballot.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

Endorsements

Results

39th ward

Incumbent alderman Margaret Laurino did not run for reelection. Laurino had first been appointed by Mayor

in 1994, and had been reelected six times. Samantha Nugent was elected to succeed her, defeating Robert Murphy in a runoff.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Mary K. Hunter * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

Endorsements

;First round ;Runoff

Results

41st ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Anthony Napolitano won reelection, defeating Tim Heneghan, his sole challenger.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Results

45th ward

Incumbent second-term alderman

John Arena John Arena is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 45th ward in the Chicago City Council from 2011 to 2019. Career Aldermanic career In 2011, Arena was elected as the alderman of the 45th ward. The 45th wa ...

unsuccessfully sought reelection. He was defeated by Jim Gardiner.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate * Jose Munoz

Endorsements

Results

West Side

22nd ward

Incumbent alderman Ricardo Muñoz did not run for reelection. Muñoz had first been appointed by Mayor

in 1993, and had been subsequently reelected six times. Michael D. Rodriguez was elected to succeed him.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate

Endorsements

Campaign

All four candidates appeared at a candidate forum at Little Village Lawndale High School on January 31, 2019.

Results

24th ward

Incumbent first-term alderman Michael Scott Jr. won reelection.

Candidates

Two write-in candidates filed: *Patricia "Pat" Marshall Adams * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, 2016, and

; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate Two candidates were removed from the ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures: * Edward Ward
Patricia Marshall
, non-profit founder and manager, community activist and organizer One candidate filed nominating petitions but withdrew before ballot certification: * Larry Nelson, Republican Committeeman for the 24th Ward

Endorsements

Results

25th ward

Incumbent alderman

Danny Solis Daniel Solis is an American politician from Illinois. He served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council from 1996 to 2019. He represented Chicago's 25th Ward which includes the Lower West Side. His sister is Patti Solis Doyle, who was Hill ...

did not run for reelection. Solis had first been appointed by Mayor

in 1996, and had subsequently been reelected five times.

won the race to succeed him, defeating Alex Acevedo in a runoff.

Candidates

One write-in candidate filed: * Richard Benedict Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged

, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002,

, , and

;