Yesenia Lopez, Eva Villalobos and Raquel Don are all running in the District 7 Chicago school board race. [Photos provided]

The race to represent District 7 on the partially elected Chicago Board of Education next year is a three-way bout between Yesenia Lopez, Eva Villalobos and Raquel Don, but the local teachers union and charter school interest groups are spending significantly on Lopez and Villalobos, respectively.

District 7 includes Pilsen, Chinatown, the Near West Side, parts of Armour Square, Bridgeport and McKinley Park and most of Little Village, Archer Heights, Gage Park and Brighton Park.

Campaign contribution limits have been lifted in the District 7 race. In all but two of the 10 school board races, contribution limits have been lifted as a result of the amount of money being raised and spent. The State Board of Elections lifted limits in the seventh district earlier this month as a result of independent spending to benefit Villalobos’ candidacy. 

Lopez, an executive assistant for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, has the best-funded campaign committee in the race. Lopez’s committee has reported at least $756,718 in direct and in-kind contributions, transfers and loans. 

Lopez has reported $31,250 in transfers into her committee, $2,000 in loans made to the campaign committee, $11,500 in individual contributions and a whopping $711,968 worth of in-kind contributions as of Oct. 24. 

The powerful Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is by far Lopez’s biggest backer, having formally endorsed her. Of her committee’s reported in-kind contributions, the CTU’s political committees have contributed $698,218 in total in-kind donations in the form of field services and staff, advertising, data consulting, polling and photoshoot preparation. Most of that was one contribution. Lopez’s committee this week reported a single $672,708 in-kind contribution from the CTU PAC for polling from IZQ Strategies. 

Other in-kind contributions include $13,000 from Grassroots PAC for advertising and $750 from Our Schools Chicago’s political committee for field services.

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) has personally given at least $2,500 to Lopez’s campaign, and California-based philanthropist Theresa Preston-Werner has given at least $2,000. Preston-Werner, who co-founded the progressive, climate-focused 128 Foundation, has given to CTU-backed candidates in multiple school board races.   

Lopez has received significant transfers into her committee from multiple lawmakers. Cook County Comm. Alma Anaya’s (D-7) committee has transferred $5,000; Sen. Celina Villanueva’s (D-Chicago) committee has transferred $5,000; 14th Ward Ald. Jeylú Gutiérrez’s committee has transferred $5,000; and Rep. Edgar Gonzalez’s (D-Chicago) committee has given $5,000. 

Additionally, the LiUNA Chicago Laborers’ District Council PAC has transferred $2,500 into Lopez’s committee, and the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council has transferred $5,000 into her committee.

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) Independent Action PAC has spent over $123,900 on digital media and mailers to support Villalobos as of Oct. 24. Additionally, the pro-school choice Urban Center’s independent expenditure committee has spent over $56,300 on printing costs, mailers, text messaging and digital advertising to support Villalobos.  

The INCS Independent Action PAC has also reported spending $24,632 on campaign mail to oppose Lopez. 

Villalobos previously worked for an international real estate firm and worked as an account coordinator for Urban Innovation. Now, she is a stay-at-home mom.

Villalobos’ own campaign committee has reported $22,600 in direct contributions and transfers as of Oct. 24. The committee is also the recipient of big donations from charter school interests.

INCS board member Jim Frank has given at least $6,900, and his wife Karen Frank has donated at least $2,000. The INCS Action PAC has also transferred $10,000 into Villalobos’ committee.

Additionally, the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance PAC has transferred $1,000 into Villalobos’ committee, and Ald. Silvana Tabares’s (23) campaign committee has transferred $500 into the committee.

Don’s Raquel for Education committee has only reported a $2,828 loan from Don to her own campaign and has not reported direct or in-kind contributions or transfers. Don was appointed by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to the Parent Board of Governors in 2019 and remains on the board, according to her website. Don is a stay-at-home mom who has volunteered at CPS schools, and she notes on her website she’s the only candidate in the race who’s a CPS parent.

The candidates are competing for a two-year term on the board, which is phasing in an all-elected board member model. In January 2025, 10 elected board members and 10 mayor-appointed board members will take office, and the mayor will appoint a board president. Early voting is ongoing in the school board race.

Following the 2026 elections, all 20 board members and the board president will be elected by voters and seated in January 2027.