Mayor of Chicago

Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn has posted a lip-sync style video to social media, joining a format that has become common among politicians seeking to reach younger audiences on platforms like TikTok. The style has previously been used by Democratic figures including Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Blackburn's entry into the trend has drawn notice and criticism from conservative commentators who questioned the strategy behind it.

The video comes as Blackburn campaigns for governor of Tennessee ahead of the state's 2026 election cycle, part of a broader midterm landscape in which Republicans are working to hold their congressional majorities. While the clip itself is a minor campaign moment, it reflects the growing use of viral, short-form social media tactics by candidates across the political spectrum as they try to engage voters outside traditional campaign messaging. Reaction to the video has been mixed, with some questioning whether the approach fits Blackburn's political brand.

In November, Chicago voters will elect all 21 members of the Chicago Board of Education, ending 30 years of mayoral control over the nation's fourth-largest school district. The board sets district vision and priorities—separate from CPS's central office under CEO Macquline King—controlling property tax decisions, budget allocation, hiring and evaluating the district CEO, approving labor contracts and charter agreements, and gathering community input through referendums.

The 21-seat board resulted from 2021 state legislation tripling membership from seven, driven by demands (led by the Chicago Teachers Union) for accountability after controversial appointed-board decisions like the 2013 mass school closures. A 2024 transition elected 10 members alongside 11 mayoral appointees; this fall's election fills all seats via 20 subdistricts, each producing one member. Newly elected members replacing appointees serve two-year terms, while those in subdistricts with 2024 winners serve four years, with terms swapping in 2028. Board members remain unpaid, a point of ongoing debate, even as they oversee a district facing a budget deficit exceeding $700 million.