West Side District 5b Chicago School Board race too close to call

District 5b neighborhoods: North Lawndale, Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, West Town Michilla “Kyla” Blaise was leading in District 5b early Wednesday morning, but the school board race was too close to declare a winner.Blaise led with nearly 53% of the votes with about 95% of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.Blaise, a political aide backed by the Chicago Teachers Union, was appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to the school board in 2024, and she was seeking a two-year seat on the school board representing a large swath of the West Side.For challenger Anthony Hargrove, it was his second attempt at the seat after failing to make the ballot two years ago. Hargrove, who runs programs to help dropouts get back in school, had support from the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents CPS support staff, charter school advocates like the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and the Common Ground Collective, an an