Axios Chicago
November 12, 2026
1 big thing: Petition challenges kick off
The election season bloodsport known as petition objections began this week with accusations flying and rare challenges to a sitting mayor.
Why it matters: This quadrennial process could greatly narrow the field of mayoral and aldermanic candidates.
How it works: Mayoral candidates need 12,500 valid signatures from registered voters who have not signed petitions for anyone else to enter the race.
The intrigue: Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing two challenges. One is led by former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, who the Sun-Times reports is working for candidate Willie Wilson. The other is from conservative group Chicago Flips Red, advised by activist Jessica Jackson.
What they're saying: "The [number of Johnson's signatures] we found valid were 4,974, very short of the 12,500 he would need," Hendon told Axios.
The other side: Johnson's campaign did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
Candidate Zoe Ma showed up Monday to face an objection by Jade C. Greenwood, whom she believes was hired by candidate and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
- "He's threatened by a little Chinese woman, when he has $22 million in his war chest," she told Axios, noting that Greenwood is also challenging Lisa Nee. "To just challenge women candidates is kind of misogyny."
- Giannoulias' campaign did not respond to Axios' questions on the issue.
What's next: The first potential removals could happen as soon as Nov. 24.
2. Mapping the school board vote
Thirty-nine of Chicago's 50 wards chose Jessica Biggs as their top candidate for the city's first elected school board president, according to voting returns counted as of this week.
Why it matters: The data could shed light on what parts of the city favor progressives vs. moderates as we head into a mayoral race, where some candidates still seem to be choosing their ideological lanes.
Zoom out: Biggs won nearly 49% of the vote so far and commands a firm hold on "lakefront liberals," who helped usher Mayor Brandon Johnson into office.
Zoom in: Progressive Chicago Teachers Union-backed candidate Hilario Dominguez prevailed in 11 wards, potentially friendly ground for the CTU-aligned Johnson.
- Yes, but: All 11 wards are led by Latino alders, who run the gamut from progressive to conservative. The results could indicate the vote by ethnicity as well.
What's next: The Chicago Board of Elections will issue official results on Nov. 24.
3. Tips and Hot Links: Fatal Amtrak crash
4. Illinois Holocaust Museum reopens
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie reopened yesterday after a 15-month renovation.
The big picture: The $10 million project resulted in a larger welcome lobby, a modernized auditorium and more open, easier-to-navigate galleries at the country's second-largest Holocaust museum.
- Guests can also experience a new reflection space to stop and gather their thoughts.
Zoom in: The Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition, one of the museum's ongoing exhibitions, has new content on the roots of antisemitism and artifacts from Leo Edelmann, a Chicago businessman who helped Jewish families escape the Holocaust.
What they're saying: "For some people, the history isn't something they come here to learn about. It's something that they have lived with. They've grown up with and carried with them their entire lives," museum CEO Bernard Cherkasov said at a preview this week.
What's next: "Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare," opening on Nov. 15, explores the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s.
5. By the numbers: Venable's impact
6. Holiday pop-up crawl: JoJo's ShakeBAR
👋🏻 Hi, it's Carrie!
'Tis the season for Instagrammable backdrops, funky drink concoctions and lots and lots of "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
The big picture: Each week, we're bringing you a mini-review of a holiday pop-up.
This week: JoJo's Winter Wonderland (23 W. Hubbard St.)
The vibe: Super sweet — literally and figuratively.
My order: Hot chocolate flight, accented with candy-coated marshmallows, and an eggnog shot in an edible frosted gingerbread cookie.
What to expect: Very friendly service, aka no looks of "why the hell is this woman in gym clothes drinking hot chocolate for dinner on a weekday?"
Plus, groups of friends giggling and snapping photos in front of the big tree, dates splitting a Winter Wonderland Biggie Shake and curious passersby peeking in for some holiday spirit.
If you go: JoJo's Winter Wonderland runs through Jan. 3 with family-friendly events like photos with Santa and adults-only mixology classes.
Axios Chicago
