Alexander Angeles to Run as District 8B Write-In
The 18-year-old student will challenge Juan Ignacio Gonzalez for a seat on the Chicago school board.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Elections
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University of Illinois Chicago student Alexander Angeles filed as a write-in candidate for the District 8B school board seat. He aims to offer voters a choice against the sole candidate appearing on the printed ballot, Juan Ignacio Gonzalez.
Why it matters
The race is part of a larger transition as the Chicago Board of Education moves from mayoral control to a 21-member elected board. This shift follows a decade-long movement for community representation in the citys school system.
District 8 serves over 275,000 residents across 62 schools. The board transition to 21 elected members will be finalized in the November 2026 elections.
The players
Alexander Angeles
He is an 18-year-old University of Illinois Chicago student and Hancock High School alumnus running as a write-in candidate.
Juan Ignacio Gonzalez
He is a Chicago police detective and Marine Corps veteran currently serving as the sole named candidate on the District 8B ballot.
Cydney Wallace
She was an initial candidate for the District 8B seat who was subsequently removed from the ballot.
The details
Alexander Angeles is an 18-year-old student who entered the race after Cydney Wallace was removed from the ballot. His opponent, Juan Ignacio Gonzalez, is a Chicago police detective and Marine Corps veteran who has served since 1999.
Timeline
Juan Ignacio Gonzalez became a Chicago police officer in 1999.
Mass school closures occurred in Chicago in 2013.
Chicago school board elections occur in November 2026.
Political Context
The race serves as a flashpoint for the ongoing transition of the Chicago Board of Education from mayoral control to a fully elected body. Opposition groups have historically argued that a mayoral-appointed board limits the influence of parents and community members in local school management.
Residents of District 8 must manually write in the name of their chosen candidate if they wish to support the challenger on the ballot. This process requires voters to recall the exact spelling of the candidate's name to ensure their vote is counted.
The takeaway
The move to an elected board represents a significant structural change for Chicago schools after years of mayoral oversight. Voters interested in school governance should verify their district boundaries before heading to the polls in 2026.
What happens next
Chicago voters will participate in the election for the new 21-member school board in November 2026.
Further reading
Read more about the upcoming Chicago Elections to understand the impact of the school board transition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chicago Tribune.
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