Che "Rhymefest" Smith
Incumbent
Chicago Board of Education Member, Subdistrict 10A
AI wrote this from the sources listed below. A second AI checked each sentence against its source, and software checked the links and dates. A person didn’t review it, so every sentence links to its source for you to check. Updated Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Overview
Smith is a songwriter and community advocate.1 Elected in 2024, his campaign says he attended all board meetings and visited over 60 schools in his first year.2
In July 2026, he voted against a budget amendment that assumed $150 million in extra state funding to reverse staff layoffs.3 He said he trusted the superintendent's budget over money the state had not provided.4 He has criticized the Sustainable Community Schools program as expensive and untracked.5 In his 2024 campaign, he proposed a $30 million increase for bilingual instruction.1 In 2024, he suggested an unbiased audit of Chicago Public Schools.6 He supports pressing the city to send more special taxing district dollars to the district.7
Campaign money
- Reporting period
- April 1 to June 30, 2026
- Raised
- $57,970
- Cash on hand
- $49,454
| Source | Amount | Share of money raised |
|---|---|---|
| Small gifts ($150 or less) | $1,525 | 3% |
| Larger gifts | $53,545 | 92% |
| PACs, parties and other campaign committees | $2,900 | 5% |
Large contributions reported since June 30, 2026: $11,000 in 2 gifts. See the large contribution reports.
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections filings for Citizens for Che "Rhymefest" Smith
Endorsements
Sources
- Meet Che ‘Rhymefest’ Smith, candidate for the Chicago School Board’s 10th District, Chicago Sun-Times. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Dr. Che Rhymefest Smith for Chicago Public School Board District, Rhymefest for CPS campaign. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Chicago school board narrowly approves a budget, Chalkbeat. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Why Rhymefest hit the brakes, Politico. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Chicago school board election 2026: Who is running in District 10a?, Chalkbeat. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Newly Elected Members of Chicago’s School Board Share Their Visions for the District, WTTW. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Weeks after state budget passes, Chicago school board formally calls for more money and millionaire’s tax, Chalkbeat. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Elections & Endorsements, SEIU Illinois State Council. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- 2026 Chicago Board of Education election, Wikipedia. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Endorsements, Common Ground Collective. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Key education endorsements for CPS School Board candidates, Chicago Sun-Times. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- November 3, 2026 General Election Endorsed Candidates, Chicago Federation of Labor. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.