Chicago School Board candidates opposed by CTU say false ads link them to Trump, Project 2025
CHICAGO - Chicago voters will for the first time have to choose who they want representing them on the city's new hybrid elected school board, as special interest groups have spent millions on these hotly contested races.
The Chicago Teachers Union, through various political action groups, has spent $1.3 million, according to campaign records compiled from the Illinois Board of Elections. That figure could be closer to $2 million when other in-kind contributions are factored in. Meanwhile, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools has raised $3.2 million, per its latest quarterly campaign filings, and a centrist group favored by charter school interests, Urban Center, has raised over $600,000.
Cook County Commissioner and CTU ally Tara Stamps says out-of-state billionaires are trying to privatize Chicago Public Schools.
"We are prepared to go to the mat so that all children can get a proper quality education," Stamps said at a news conference this morning.
However, a group of school board candidates opposed by the CTU say they have been the target of false and deceptive mailers — incorrectly linking them to Project 2025 and Donald Trump.
"I have been accused of being aligned with Trump and the Project 2025 agenda; it couldn't be further from the truth," said school board candidate Karin Norrington-Reaves, who is being opposed by the CTU in the 10th District. "I ran 2 years ago for Congress as a Democrat. I've never pulled a Republican ballot in my life."
Miquel Lewis, who is running in District 9, says the CTU attack mailers have been offensive.
"The fact that the CTU and their supporters have the audacity to call these candidates people who are ‘serving slave masters’ is ridiculous, insulting, and I won't tolerate it," Lewis said.
Lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 transitioning CPS from an appointed to elected board to give residents more of a say. But Reform for Illinois Executive Director Alisa Kaplan says it hasn't exactly turned out that way.
"It's not good for democracy. You never want your candidate or elected official to be too indebted to a single person or a group of people," Kaplan said.
She also said that the big spending could be problematic for CPS, already reeling from financial difficulties and political controversy.
"It opens the door to corruption and pay-to-play politics where they could ask for favors in return for these giant campaign contributions."
The CTU-opposed candidates all say they support CEO Pedro Martinez and are against the controversial $300 million loan sought by Mayor Johnson to help fund a new CTU contract and balance CPS' budget. Ten districts are up for grabs, but the mayor will still get to appoint 11 more board members next year.