Chicago’s 44th Ward aldermanic race is shaping up to be a three-way contest in 2027, with incumbent Ald. Bennett Lawson facing two challengers as he seeks a second term representing portions of Lakeview, Wrigleyville and Northalsted.
Lawson, who took office in 2023 after longtime Ald. Tom Tunney retired from the Chicago City Council, ran unopposed in his first election. This time, Lakeview residents Dennis “DJ” Doran and Kalen Luciano have filed petitions to challenge him.
Doran is a business executive and U.S. Air Force veteran. Luciano, 26, is a community organizer and co-founder of Lakeview Urbanists, a neighborhood group focused on urban planning and transportation.
The contest will be Lawson’s first competitive aldermanic election since succeeding Tunney, who represented the ward for two decades.
According to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ October 30 candidate list, all three filed nominating paperwork before the October 26 deadline. Their names remain subject to the election board’s certification process.
Lawson also enters the race with a fundraising advantage. Public campaign records compiled by ChicagoPolitics.org show approximately $190,000 in cash on hand as of September 30.
The 44th Ward includes residential neighborhoods and busy entertainment and commercial districts around Wrigley Field and Northalsted. The election will determine who represents residents in City Council decisions on development, transportation, public safety and neighborhood business issues.
Chicago’s municipal election is Tuesday, February 23, 2027. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the two leading candidates will meet in an April 6 runoff.
Sources: Block Club Chicago; ChicagoPolitics.org; Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.