How we cover the 2027 election: candidate listings, key votes, corrections and funding

How candidates get listed

A candidate appears only after they file nominating papers with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, as the Board lists them. Each name links to the Board's record.
Until the Board posts its list of filed candidates, we list candidates from the Board's receipts for their nominating papers, copies of which the Board provides, and cite them as "Board receipt". We don't publish the petitions themselves: they carry signers' names and addresses.
People who have only announced, been rumored or been endorsed are not listed.
Removal follows the Board's rulings: when the Board sustains an objection and removes a candidate, or a candidate withdraws, we mark them that way and link the ruling. While an objection is pending, the candidate stays listed as "Objection filed".
Objections come from the Board's published dockets and rulings, with the objector named as the Board names them.
Campaign money comes from the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE), with the report linked.
Separately, each race page lists the campaign committees registered with ISBE that name that race, linked to the ISBE record. A registered committee is not a ballot filing: those people are not listed as candidates or counted as running until the Board lists their nominating papers.

What counts as a key vote

Votes are full-Council roll calls on legislation the City Clerk flags as key, since the term began May 15, 2023. Committee votes and routine items (such as parking permits) are excluded.
Attendance is the share of those roll calls where the member voted rather than being recorded absent.
Divided (contested) votes are roll calls with at least one nay. "With the majority" is how often the member voted with the winning side on those.
Legislation filed counts non-routine matters where the member is the lead sponsor; "reached final action" counts those that did.
Every incumbent number sits beside the Council median. Money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.

Corrections

If something here is wrong or out of date, email hello@chicagopolitics.org with the page and a source. We fix errors as soon as we confirm them and note what changed on the page. We don't remove accurate, sourced information on request.

Who funds Chicago Politics

Chicago Politics is paid for by ads on public pages and paid plans for alderperson offices, lobbyists and advocacy groups. We don't take donations. No advertiser or customer decides what we publish or how we count.

Chicago Politics is independent. We don't endorse candidates. About and methods.

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How we list candidates, and our corrections policy · All 2027 races · Election calendar · Objections