Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 6a, downtown Chicago
This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter , WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter , and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters . The race to represent downtown Chicago on the school board pits a former lobbyist who…
In District 6a of downtown Chicago, the 2026 school board election is taking place. The race pits three candidates against each other: Anusha Thotakura, Isaiah White, and Brenda Lee Anderson. Thotakura, a former lobbyist and current school board member, is seeking re-election with support from the Chicago Teachers Union and the Service Employees International Union.
White, a school support worker, is backed by The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for school choice. Anderson, a Northwestern University lecturer, is not backed by major special interest groups and aims to fix the district's budget crisis. Each candidate has different priorities, with Thotakura focusing on boosting academic outcomes, White aiming to provide a better future for children, and Anderson seeking to address the district's chronic budget issues.
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- 2026 Chicago School Board Election Resources chalkbeat.org
