Bruce Randazzo is a retired city truck driver who spent three decades working for the City of Chicago in the water, aviation and streets and sanitation departments, according to a profile from Block Club Chicago.

In 2012, Randazzo ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat in Illinois state House of Representatives District 20, losing to former Republican state Rep. Michael McAuliffe. Randazzo is self-funding his campaign and does not intend to host fundraisers or solicit money from voters, though he does use campaign volunteers, Block Club reported.

Elected: 2011.

Nicholas Sposato has made his mark on the Chicago City Council as one of few conservatives and the sole open supporter of former President Donald Trump. A lifelong resident of the Northwest Side, Sposato worked as a UPS driver and then a firefighter for 18 years before he made his bid for a City Council seat. When he ran for the 36th seat in 2011, he upset former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pick Ald. John Rice.

After his ward was redistricted into the 38th in 2015, he defeated incumbent Ald. Timothy Cullerton’s pick Heather Sattler and five other challengers with 53 percent of the vote.

Sposato was formerly a member of the Progressive Caucus, but departed from the group in 2017 due to disagreements on LGBTQ rights and social issues – though many members said they’d still work with him on labor issues. He ran unopposed for reelection in 2019 after he knocked opponent Ralph Pawlikowski off the ballot by challenging his petition signatures. His political differences from his fellow council members grown more apparent over his past two terms, as he has vocally opposed police accountability reform and protections for undocumented Chicagoans.

He supported Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the 2019 mayoral runoff, and has mostly voted with the mayor on policy issues. Sposato previously said he would retire in 2023, but announced his run for re-election as his overall health remains intact despite the challenges of his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.

Former Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Comm. Cynthia Santos worked as chief of staff for former 30th Ward Ald. Michael Wojcik before she ran for the water district commissioner position she’d go on to hold for two decades.

Santos has served on the Illinois Pollution Control Board since 2016. Outside of government, Santos has chaired the Irving Park YMCA board, various school boards and local school councils in her community and served on the Belmont-Central Chamber of Commerce board, she told Block Club Chicago.

Jessie “Jessie” Fuentes is an openly queer activist from Humboldt Park running in the open 26^th Ward race following the decision by Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26) not to seek reelection and withdraw from the race. Fuentes’ work experience includes being the director of policy and youth advocacy for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Humboldt Park as well as the co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago group.

On her website, Fuentes says her “lived experience overcoming poverty, violence and generational trauma, coupled with her professional accomplishments,” make her best suited to lead the ward. Fuentes is endorsed by United Working Families.

Attorney Larry Lloyd owns a legal practice with his wife called The Lloyd Law Firm LLC, which has offices in Illinois and Wisconsin. Lloyd lives in Washington Heights with his wife and children.

Preston Brown Jr. is a private practice attorney accredited with the Veterans Administration and the elected Democratic Committeeman of the 34th Ward. Before redistricting, Brown ran for alderman in what was then the 34th Ward in 2019. According to his campaign website, Brown also serves on the Local School Council at Percy L. Julian High School.

Daliah Goree is a Chicago Police officer who has served on the force for 24 years, according to her campaign website. Goree has been involved with several 501c3 nonprofits and was previously sergeant-at-arms for Morgan Park High School.

Ayana Clark works as a community advocate for the retiring U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who represents Illinois’ 1st District, and is an alumnus of the Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corp and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Clark earned a master’s degree in communications from Purdue University Northwest and works with the organizations Project H.O.O.D. and Hustle Mommies — the latter of which she serves as an advisory board member.

Kweli Kwaza is founder and executive director of the Talented 10th College Prep and CareerMentoring organization. Kwaza obtained a political science degree from Northern Illinois University and serves on the NIU Black Alumni Council. Kwaza also founded the 21st Ward Block Club Network and the Young Inventors Program for 4th to 8th-graders. Kwaza also studied at the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Community Psychology at National Louis University, according to his website.

As Mayor Lori Lightfoot's second hand picked nominee to fill an aldermanic vacancy, now-Ald. Monique Scott (24) replaced her brother Michael Scott as the 24th Ward alderman in June 2022. Scott previously worked as a health consultant for North Lawndale Christian Health Center and served as a park supervisor of recreation for the Chicago Park District just before her aldermanic appointment. She owned the Eclectic Chique Clothing Boutique in Chicago from 2010 to 2014, according to her resume. She was among more than a dozen applicants to fill her brother’s old post.

Vetress Boyce is a business owner making her third run for 24^th Ward alderman after unsuccessful campaigns in 2011 and 2015, though she competed in a run-off in the latter. According to her resume, Boyce has lobbied in favor of reparations and campaigned on behalf of Mayor Lori Lightfoot during her 2019 run as well as for Willie Wilson’s 2019 mayoral run.

In 2022, Boyce was one of the many applicants to toss her name into the ring to replace outgoing Ald. Michael Scott, though his sister, now-Ald. Monique Scott (24), was the one tapped to succeed him. Boyce owns and operates a medical supply business and beauty supply store.

Larry Nelson has worked as a staffer for U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and in 2022 applied to fill the 24^th Ward seat vacated by former Ald. Michael Scott, though the seat would eventually go to his sister, current Ald. Monique Scott (24). According to his resume, Nelson previously worked for former 24th Ward Ald. Michael Chandler and later worked as a project coordinator for the Chicago Department of Human Services.

Traci “Treasure” Johnson is making another run for the 24^th Ward aldermanic office after a run for the seat in 2019. Johnson is a community activist who has worked in pest control, has served as secretary of the Midwest Community Council and worked for political campaigns at all levels, according to a 2019 Sun-Times article.

Creative Scott ran for 24^th Ward alderman in 2019 and finished in second place behind former Ald. Michael Scott, though the two are not related. Creative Scott is a firearms instructor and works as an armed security guard, according to his resume. Creative also is a licensed barber and runs his own salon, according to his resume. He was among applicants to replace the former 24^th Ward alderman in 2022, though the job ultimately went to Michael Scott’s sister, current Ald. Monique Scott (24).

Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27) grew up in the Cabrini-Green public housing complex and in his late teens served two years in prison for bank robbery, though he was pardoned in 1998 by then-Gov. Jim Edgar. Burnett pursued an education in political science from prison, earning an associate’s degree and a certificate in drafting. His father having worked in party politics under 42nd Ward Committeeman and Cook County Democratic Chairman George Dunne, Burnett got his start with the county’s Young Democrats in 1989. Burnett, who has served as alderman since 1995, previously worked in the office of then-Recorder of Deeds Jesse White and later ran White’s successful campaign for Secretary of State in 1998. While on the council, Burnett guided the creation of the 2007 Affordable Requirements Ordinance and was a main driver for revisions to the ordinance in 2015, 2017 and 2021.