Brittany Bailey Preston wins South Side District 9a in Chicago School Board race

District 9a neighborhoods: Auburn Gresham, West Englewood, Englewood, New City, Ashburn, Washington Heights Brittany Bailey Preston, the sole candidate for District 9a, cruised to victory Tuesday night, according to election results from the Associated Press.Preston faced no opposition after Angel Velez, who had been appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, failed to get on the ballot after a large percentage of his signatures were challenged and invalidated. Preston is married to state Sen. Willie Preston, whose district covers the same neighborhoods she will oversee in her role as a school board member.Minutes after being declared the winner, Preston walked into her election watch party at Q’s Lounge in Chicago’s Ashburn neighborhood.“I’m feeling well,” she said by phone. “I’m excited to get to work for the children in my community, children in District 9a.”Once she starts her term, Preston said she plans to focus on initiatives to raise student’s reading levels, and she wants students to