Five candidates filed in the 27th Ward, where a Burnett has held the seat for three decades

Ald. Walter "Red" Burnett, appointed last year to succeed his father, faces four challengers in his first election. Here's the field, our petition counts and what his short Council record shows.

By Chicago PoliticsUpdated Oct 30, 2026

Five people filed nominating papers to run for alderperson in the 27th Ward, which covers parts of the West Loop, River West, West Town and the Near West Side, Block Club Chicago reported Friday. One of them is the incumbent, Ald. Walter "Red" Burnett, whom Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed in 2025 after his father, Walter Burnett Jr., retired after 30 years on the Council.

Why it matters: it's the first time the younger Burnett will face voters. A five-way race makes an April 6 runoff possible, because a candidate needs more than half the vote on Feb. 23 to win outright.

The field

The Board of Election Commissioners' filing report, printed after filing closed Oct. 26, lists the five:

Walter "Red" Burnett, filed Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. Block Club reports he spent five years at Goldman Sachs before joining the Council.
Mary Eason, filed Oct. 23.
Nate Cornell, filed Oct. 26. Block Club describes him as a former government consultant and president of a Near West Side neighborhood association.
Dan Olas, filed Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. Block Club describes him as a longtime ward resident who owns a staffing agency.
Tyhesha C. Haynes, filed Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. Block Club says she grew up in Rockwell Gardens and is running on public safety, youth programs and government transparency.

Olas and Haynes both filed at 5 p.m., when filing closed. Candidates who file at the same moment have their ballot order set by lottery, which the Board must hold by Nov. 4.

What our records add

Petition counts. We count the filled signature lines on each sheet of the Board's copy of a petition. It's not the Board's count of valid signatures, which happens only if someone objects. Against the 473-signature minimum, our 27th Ward race page shows:

Burnett: 2,471 lines, about 5.2 times the minimum
Eason: 593 lines, about 1.25 times the minimum

We haven't counted Cornell's, Olas's or Haynes's petitions yet. A filing with a small cushion, like Eason's on our count, is the kind objectors look at first. Objections are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, and none had been publicly reported in any ward as of Friday morning, as we report separately.

What Burnett has carried. Burnett was lead sponsor of SO2026-0024043, which changed the timeline for raising the tipped minimum wage. Block Club calls it the One Fair Wage pause. It passed 49 to 1 on May 20; Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) voted no. Block Club also reports he has been involved in the proposed 15-cent tax on delivered packages in the Mayor's 2027 budget.

Two recent votes. Burnett voted against the rule requiring 30 votes for new City borrowing, O2026-0026270, which passed 32 to 15 on Sept. 29 before the Mayor vetoed it.

How each ward voted

32 yea, 15 nay, 3 not voting · Sep 29, 2026 · Passed

Yea Nay Not voting

O2026-0026270: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

At this week's budget hearing. On Thursday, Burnett told the Chicago Department of Transportation that he heard about the latest delay to the Chicago Avenue bridge and Halsted viaduct from a community group, not from the department. "Another year of this is just going to be impossible," he said (watch at 6:28:02). The bridge, at the edge of his ward, now won't fully reopen until spring 2027, as we report separately.

More on the seat. The 27th Ward page has the ward's voting record, legislation and campaign money for this Council term. Our records file the seat's history under one member, so its totals this term include both Burnetts' time in office.

What's next

Nov. 2, 5 p.m.: deadline for objections to any candidate's petitions.
By Nov. 4: ballot lotteries for candidates who filed at the same time.
Dec. 17: the Board certifies the ballot.
Feb. 23, 2027: Election Day. If no one wins a majority, the top two go to a runoff on April 6.