Ald. Jeylu B. Gutierrez Will Again Face Challenger Raul Reyes In 14th Ward Race

GAGE PARK — Voters in the 14th Ward may get deja vu as they vote between the same two candidates who, in the last election, ran for the seat left open by the indicted Ald. Ed Burke. Ald. Jeylu B. Gutierrez, the ward’s first Latina alderperson, is vying for a second term against Raul Reyes, her opponent in the last election. Reyes overwhelmingly lost to Gutierrez in 2023 , earned just 35 percent of the vote to Gutierrez’s 65 percent. Both candidates filed petitions to run for the 14th Ward Office in next year’s municipal election, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. The 14th Ward includes Gage Park, Archer Heights and parts of Brighton Park and Chicago Lawn. Before joining the City Council, Gutierrez worked as the district director for county Commissioner Alma Anaya and previously worked as a counselor and in other positions at several Chicago Public Schools. Backed by U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Gutierrez first took office in 2023, succeeding Burke, who had represented the ward since 1969. He was considered the longtime “dean” of City Hall and one of Chicago’s most powerful aldermen until his indictment for federal racketeering, bribery and corruption charges. Burke was convicted and, in 2024, sentenced to two years in prison. Reyes works as a project coordinator for the Chicago Department of Transportation and previously worked as a staff assistant with the City Clerk’s Office. He unsuccessfully ran for alderman of the 15th Ward in 2015. In the 2023 election, Reyes received a $50,000 donation from former Rep. Dan Burke — Ed Burke’s brother. In late October, Reyes’ political committee received a $50,000 donation from the Committee to Elect Dan Burke, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records. Gutierrez’s political committee has received over $60,000 in contributions since the start of this year, including from labor unions, business owners and industry leaders, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records. Reporter Quinn Myers contributed. ______________________________________________________________________ Support Local News! Subscribe to Block Club Chicago , an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to gift a subscription , or you can support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation. Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: From Stoves To Overhead Heat: The History Of The CTA’s Warming Lamps Episode play icon From Stoves To Overhead Heat: The History Of The CTA’s Warming Lamps Episode play icon Should Chicago Have Public Festival Grounds? It’s On The Ballot. Episode play icon Need A Halloween Costume? A Chicago Thrifting Expert Shares Her Secrets Load More Search Results placeholder Previous Episode Show Episodes List Next Episode