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Rojas-Banda Files to Challenge Ald. Tabares

Attorney Leonardo Rojas-Banda and incumbent Ald. Silvana Tabares both filed nominating petitions for the 23rd Ward seat this week.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

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Attorney Leonardo Rojas-Banda filed nominating petitions this week to challenge Ald. Silvana Tabares for Chicago's 23rd Ward seat in February 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Leonardo Rojas-Banda filed nominating petitions to challenge Ald. Silvana Tabares in the 23rd Ward, with both candidates submitting paperwork to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners this week. The municipal election for the seat is scheduled for February 23, 2027.

Why it matters

Rojas-Banda said federal immigration enforcement in the neighborhood was a major factor in his decision to run. The contest sets up a challenge to an incumbent who has held the ward seat since her 2018 appointment.

Both candidates filed nominating petitions with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, and the Board is scheduled to certify the ballot on December 17, 2026. Tabares was first appointed to the seat in 2018 and won elections in 2019 and 2023.

The players

Leonardo Rojas-Banda

An attorney and community organizer who previously worked in Gov. JB Pritzker's office and is challenging the incumbent alderman.

Silvana Tabares

The incumbent alderman who has represented Chicago's 23rd Ward since her 2018 appointment after five years in the Illinois House.

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners

The city body that receives nominating petitions and certifies the municipal ballot.

The details

Rojas-Banda, an attorney and community organizer who grew up in West Lawn and graduated from Hubbard High School in 2016, previously worked in Gov. JB Pritzker's office. He launched his campaign in August. Tabares served five years in the Illinois House before her City Council appointment.

Timeline

  1. August 2026: Rojas-Banda launches his campaign.

  2. November 4, 2026: Both candidates file nominating petitions.

  3. December 17, 2026: Board of Elections scheduled to certify the ballot.

  4. February 23, 2027: Municipal election for the 23rd Ward seat.

Political Context

Challenges to sitting aldermen run through the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners' petition and certification process before reaching voters. This filing follows that established cycle ahead of the February 23, 2027 municipal election.

Residents of the 23rd Ward will choose between the incumbent and a challenger in the February 23, 2027 municipal election. The outcome determines who represents the ward's City Council seat going forward.

The takeaway

Voters in the 23rd Ward will have a choice in February between a longtime alderman and a first-time challenger. Watching the certified ballot in December will show the final field.

What happens next

The Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the ballot on December 17, 2026, and the municipal election follows on February 23, 2027.

Further reading

Follow more local races in the Elections section for context on upcoming Chicago contests.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Block Club Chicago.

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