White Holds Narrow Lead in Chicago School Board District 6a

The District 6a contest remained too close to call early on November 4. White, a Chicago Public Schools classroom assistant, had a narrow lead over Thotakura and Anderson, with fewer than 1,000 votes separating the three candidates after all precincts reported.

The race drew more than $500,000 in spending from The Urban Center, which advocates school choice, and a lobbying affiliate of an Illinois charter-school organization, both backing White. He also had the support of an anti-Chicago Teachers Union political action committee funded heavily by billionaire Michael Sacks.

Thotakura, appointed by the mayor in 2024, had backing from the Chicago teachers’ union and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents school support workers. Anderson, a Northwestern University lecturer on leave, ran without backing from major special-interest groups. Her presence may have divided voters more favorable to Thotakura, while union-backed candidates across the city performed better than expected despite being significantly outspent.

District 6a covers the Near North Side and West Town. It has 14 public schools, fewer than any other school board district, and no neighborhood high schools. State data released the previous week showed that two schools had the state’s highest designation, while 60% received one of the two lowest ratings.

White and Thotakura have emphasized improving reading and math scores. Anderson’s main priority is addressing the Chicago Public Schools’ budget crisis.

Union-Backed Thotakura Battles Big Spending in District 6a

The close District 6a race puts a sharp contrast in school politics on display: incumbent Anusha Thotakura, backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU, was locked in a tight contest with Isaiah White, whose campaign benefited from more than $500,000 in spending by school-choice and charter advocates.

White, a Chicago Public Schools classroom assistant, also had support from an anti-CTU political action committee heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks. The contest remained too close to call early on November 4, with all precincts reporting and fewer than 1,000 votes separating White, Thotakura and Brenda Lee Anderson.

Thotakura was appointed by the mayor in 2024 and is seeking to retain her seat. Anderson, a Northwestern University lecturer on leave, had no major special-interest backing and may have split voters more inclined to support Thotakura. Across the city, CTU-backed candidates were doing better than expected despite being significantly outspent.

The stakes include academic performance and the district’s schools: two of its 14 public schools received the state’s highest designation, while 60% were rated in the bottom two categories in 2026 state data. Thotakura and White have focused on raising reading and math scores; Anderson has made the district’s chronic school-system budget crisis her main priority.

School-Choice Backing Puts White in Close District 6a Lead

Isaiah White’s narrow lead in Chicago’s District 6a race shows that a contest backed by school-choice advocates can remain competitive even as union-backed candidates outperform expectations elsewhere in the city. Early on November 4, White led incumbent Anusha Thotakura and Brenda Lee Anderson by fewer than 1,000 votes, with all precincts reporting; the race was too close to call.

The Chicago Public Schools classroom assistant received more than $500,000 in campaign spending from The Urban Center, which promotes education options in both public and private settings, and an advocacy affiliate of an Illinois charter-school organization. He also received backing from an anti-CTU political action committee heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks.

Thotakura, appointed by the mayor in 2024, had support from the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU, which represents school support workers. Anderson, a Northwestern University lecturer on leave, had no major special-interest backing and may have split voters more favorable to Thotakura. CTU-backed candidates across the city were performing better than expected despite being significantly outspent.

District 6a has 14 public schools and no neighborhood high schools. State data released the previous week showed two schools with the highest designation, but 60% in the bottom two categories. White and Thotakura have prioritized reading and math scores; Anderson has focused on the school system’s chronic budget crisis.