Twenty-one people have filed nominating paperwork in order to run for alderman in the 24th, 28th, 29th and 37th Wards during the Feb. 26, 2019 election, according to city election records. That’s the same amount of people who filed paperwork to run for Mayor of Chicago. 

The candidates had until Nov. 26 to submit paperwork to the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago, 69 W. Washington St.

Aldermanic candidates must collect at least 473 valid signatures to get on the ballot while mayoral candidates must collect at least 12,500 laid signatures to make the ballot, among other requirements for running. 

According to state law, anyone looking to file objections to a candidate’s nominating papers must file them within five business days from the time they’re due. A lottery drawing for candidates whose name will be on the first or final position on the February ballot was scheduled to be held Dec. 5.

If no candidate in any given race gets at least 50 percent of the vote in the February elections, then the top two-highest vote-getting candidates will face each other in runoff elections on April 2, 2019. 

In all, 212 candidates filed to run in next year’s local citywide election, and among those candidates are 45 incumbents seeking reelection, according to Ballotpedia. Four aldermen are running unopposed. 

“In 2015, 44 incumbent council members ran for re-election,” Ballotpedia explains. “Seven were defeated — an incumbent re-election rate of 84 percent. Heading into the 2019 election, 13 city council members (26 percent) were first elected in 2015.”

To find more information on potential ballot objections and other election matters, visit chicagoelections.com. 

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly noted that aldermen needed at least 432 valid signatures to get on the ballot. This story has since been updated. Austin Weekly News regrets the error.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com   

Candidate list

Mayoral candidates 

Dorothy A. Brown Cook, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County 

Catherine Brown D’Tycoon, activist  

Gery Chico, former chair of the Illinois State Board of Education 

Conrien Hykes Clark

William M. Daley, former White House Chief of Staff and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Amara Enyia, executive director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce 

Robert Fioretti, former Chicago alderman 

La Shawn K. Ford, 8th District state representative 

Ja’Mal Green, activist and executive director of the Majostee Allstars Community Center 

Neal Sales-Griffin, professor at Northwestern University’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation 

Jerry Joyce, attorney 

John Kozlar, attorney and 11th Ward aldermanic candidate in 2011 and 2015 

Lori Lightfoot, attorney and former president of the Chicago Police Board 

Sandra L. Mallory, candidate for 15th Ward alderman 

Richard Mayers, congressional candidate in 2016 and current candidate for clerk and city treasurer 

Garry McCarthy, former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department

Susana Mendoza, Illinois Comptroller

Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners

Paul Vallas, former chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools 

Roger L. Washington, police officer, 24th Ward alderman candidate in 2015 

Willie Wilson, businessman, mayoral candidate in 2015 and presidential candidate in 2016 

 

City Clerk candidates 

Patricia Horton

Anna M. Valencia 

Elizabeth “Betty” Arias-Ibarra

Richard Mayers

 

City Treasurer candidates 

Melissa Conyears-Ervin

Peter Gariepy

Ameya Pawar

Richard Mayers 

 

Aldermanic candidates 

24th Ward 

Michael Scott, incumbent 

Creative Scott 

Toriano A. Sanzone, 

Traci “Treasure” Johnson

Edward Ward

“Pat” Patricia Marshall 

Larry G. Nelson 

 

28th Ward 

Jason C. Ervin, incumbent 

Miguel Bautista 

Jasmine Jackson 

Theresa Rayford

Justina L. Winfrey

Beverly Miles

 

29th Ward 

Chris Taliaferro, incumbent 

Dwayne Truss 

Gayinga Washington

Zerlina Smith

 

37th Ward 

Emma Mitts, incumbent 

Tara Stamps

Deondre Rutues

Otis Percy