Ald. Samantha Nugent Running Unopposed In Far Northwest Side’s 39th Ward

NORTH PARK — Ald. Samantha Nugent will run unopposed in her quest for a third term as 39th Ward alderperson. Nugent was the only candidate who filed to run for leader of the 39th Ward in next year’s election, according to petitions submitted to the Chicago Board of Elections by Monday’s deadline to make the ballot. Board of Elections records list Nugent as having filed two separate petitions to run for 39th Ward alderperson, though it is not clear if that is a clerical error. A spokesperson for the board did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This will be Nugent s first time running unopposed. In 2019, Nugent and three other candidates ran to replace retiring Ald. Margaret Laurino, who had served in the role since 1994. Nugent and architect Robert Murphy advanced to a runoff, which Nugent won. In her first reelection bid, Nugent defeated challenger and data researcher Denali Dasgupta, winning 62 percent of the vote in the 2023 race. Before joining C