Chicago elections 2023: City Council poised for big changes with multiple races up for grabs
Unclear who among over 170 Chicago aldermen candidates will win, thanks to tight margins
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago's municipal election was Tuesday night, but a lot of aldermanic races are still undecided. Whatever happens, there will be many new faces on City Council.
6th Ward aldermanic candidate William Hall thanked supporters Wednesday afternoon. The political newcomer is a longtime pastor and activist in the ward. He will be in a runoff to succeed Roderick Sawyer, who gave up the office to run for mayor. That means a new face on the council regardless of who wins.
"I think the city want something different, a safe city," Hall said. "They spoke last night."
Hall's opponent, Richard Wooten, is also a pastor and businessman who retired after more than two decades in the Chicago Police Department. Both candidates say public safety is a big issue in the historic South Side ward, and both are hoping take the ward in a new direction.
"This is the new direction the city of Chicago is looking for," Wooten said. "More engaged in the governing of their communities."
The winner of the 6th Ward will be one of a dozen new faces on the Chicago City Council. Eight council seats will be decided in the runoff election in April.
Four alderpersons were elected outright Tuesday night, including Jeylú Gutiérrez, who won the seat vacated by Ed Burke, who has been in the office for 54 years.
ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington says big changes are likely coming for the city council.
"Some of these folks are progressive left and are more likely to be part of the Democratic Socialist of America Caucus in City Council," Washington said.
Alderman Jim Gardiner is just finishing his first term and will now likely be a veteran on the council. He said he's excited about the changes.
"We will adapt and overcome," Gardiner said. "That's what Chicagoans do."
In Chicago's 11th Ward, which includes Chinatown and Bridgeport, incumbent Nicole Lee is being challenged by Anthony Ciaravino.
Lee was appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to replace Patrick Daley Thompson who was convicted of fraud.
Some here say the identity of the recently remapped ward - which includes parts of the Bridgeport, Canaryville, McKinley Park, Armour Square and Chinatown, neighborhoods - is changing.
That could be a factor why Lee, a former United Airlines executive and Chicago's first Chinese American alderman, was forced into a runoff.
Lee, who was appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in March 2022, will face off against Chicago Police Department training officer Anthony Ciaravino on April 4.
Both the married father of three from Bridgeport and Lee led a crowded field of candidates by each receiving just over 30% of the vote.
A lot of residents remain concerned about crime, education and rising property taxes, while some in the ward like real estate broker Rafiq Abdullah said he's most concerned with the impact of gentrification in Bridgeport, where he has lived for eight years.
"It's actually affecting the Italian community because the Asian community is kind of upping the price and doing all of the developments," Abdullah said.
And while it's unclear how all of this will affect who is elected to represent the ward, questions about what's next continue.
"There are some new young progressives also moving in, and so there is going to be a mix of old school and younger voices," said Grace Chan McKibben, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. "And that's exciting, because that's how we see things changing and we see progress."
Of course we won't know the full make-up of the new city council until after the runoff elections in April. And that means five weeks of serious campaigning for the candidates in those races.
