Chicago’s runoff election: Everything you need to know about races for mayor and aldermen

Chicago Tribune staff, Chicago Tribune
Updated ·5 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

For those candidates who didn’t win outright in the Feb. 28 Chicago election by securing more than 50% of the vote, there is one more election in Chicago — the runoff on April 4 — where the top two vote-getters in the race for mayor and more than a dozen aldermanic races will face off one last time.

Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson emerged from a field of nine to be the final two candidates running for Chicago mayor. There are 14 runoffs in aldermanic elections.

In the mayor’s race, the more conservative Vallas and progressive Johnson sparred throughout much of the February campaign and have continued to do so in the runoff. The two disagree significantly on the biggest issues in the race — education and crime.

In the 14 races for City Council that have not yet been decided, six involve incumbents who didn’t exceed the 50% threshold, three of whom Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently appointed to the seats.

Be sure to bookmark chicagotribune.com/elections to read our full election coverage and get live results on April 4, and subscribe to our Daywatch newsletter to receive our special election edition every Tuesday through Election Day.

Here’s what you need to know before Election Day.

What happened in the February election?

The final matchup of Vallas and Johnson was a stunning blow to Lightfoot, who became the first full-term incumbent to fail to win reelection since Jane Byrne lost to Harold Washington in 1983. It also clearly reflected that residents were clamoring for a new direction from City Hall.

The results followed a frequently bitter nine-way race to lead the nation’s third-largest city.

A visibly shaken Lightfoot conceded the race just before 9 p.m. and said she would be “rooting and praying for our next mayor to deliver for the people of the city for years to come.”

Casting your vote

You can vote by mail or in person. Early voting started March 20. Here’s our early voting guide, including polling locations and more.

April 4 is the date of the runoff election and the deadline for a mail-in ballot to be postmarked in order for it to be counted. April 18 is the last day that mail-in ballots (postmarked by April 4) may arrive at the offices of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to be included in the count.

Chicago mayor’s race

Vallas, a 69-year old former schools chief, has long been a critic of the Chicago Teachers Union that Johnson helps lead, asserting the union’s work stoppages during the pandemic harmed children’s well-being and hurt their growth for generations. Johnson, 46, regularly paints Vallas’ approach to public education as “morally bankrupt” for its promotion of private school vouchers and expansion of charters across the country.

On crime, Vallas has positioned himself as the pro-law enforcement candidate who will stamp out the “complete lawlessness” he has seen in Chicago by, among other things, reversing Police Department rules he contends restrict cops from doing their jobs. Johnson, meanwhile, decried the city’s reliance on policing as a “failed” strategy and instead promised a new citywide strategy that would shift focus toward community investments in housing, mental health and more.

On Paul Vallas

On Brandon Johnson

Johnson and Vallas on the issues

The debates and forums

On the campaign trail

Endorsements

City Council elections

There are 14 runoffs in aldermanic elections.

Of the 14 runoff races for Chicago City Council, six involve incumbents and three of those are incumbents recently appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The rest involve seats that were open because the incumbent decided to either run for another office (including mayor) or retire.

In the races involving incumbents, three of them were elected at least going back to 2019. Those are Ald. Chris Taliaferro, who is trying to fend off West Side activist CB Johnson in the 29th Ward, which includes parts of Austin and Montclare on the West and Northwest sides; Ald. Gilbert Villegas, who is facing Leonor “Lori” Torres Whitt in the seesaw-shaped 36th Ward on the North and Northwest sides; and Ald. Jim Gardiner, who is facing Megan Mathias in the Northwest Side’s 45th Ward.

The three recently appointed incumbent races involve Ald. Nicole Lee, who is facing Anthony Ciaravino in the 11th Ward, which includes Bridgeport and Chinatown on the South Side; Ald. Monique Scott, who is being challenged by community leader Creative Scott in the 24th Ward, which includes Lawndale on the West Side; and Ald. Timmy Knudsen, who is facing Brian Comer for the 43rd Ward, which includes Lincoln Park on the North Side.

Other City Council races that will be featured in the runoff include the 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 21st, 30th, 46th and 48th wards.

Many Chicagoans are voting in a new ward this year after a redistricting battle. Not sure which ward you live in? Use our interactive tool.

Here are some stories from Tribune reporters about individual ward races.

Where can I vote in person before Election Day?

Here’s a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction look at where and when residents may vote in advance of the runoff election on April 4.

Locations and hours of operation are subject to change, so check with your local jurisdiction for the latest information.

Type your address into the search box below to find the site closest to you.