Chicago City School Board, District 10B

The Dish: I despise a hard-to-find website. Connie Anderson has one of those. I’ve certainly seen worse websites this campaign season; at least hers comes with a few priorities and endorsements, so I don’t have to scour the internet for them. Her endorsements include CTU, United Neighbors of the 10th Ward, and Cook County College Teachers Union. According to her Linkedin Anderson is a Real Estate Tax Paralegal and a Broker’s Associate. As of this writing, her campaign has raised zero dollars, despite endorsements from some of the biggest funders of the Chicago School Board race. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Anderson to the Chicago Board of Education District 10B, which includes Chatham, Calumet Heights, and South Deering, in July of this year. She is a community leader, education advocate, and entrepreneur who has advanced youth development and community-based initiatives across Chicago. Working with CPS, Anderson led the development of three student robotics teams, including a varsity team that earned a berth at the World Championships. Cool!

Is this Patrick C. Watson or is this Patrick C. Watson? When I first started this search my only clue was this random Facebook post. And as Facebook posts are a reliable source of information (huge sprinkling of sarcasm), we can safely assume Watson works for Alderman Beale as his Administrative Assistant. Oh, and he’s a “really nice gentleman.” 

A little more digging led me to the website that houses Watson’s campaign. He’s a Chicagoan, South Side native, CPS graduate, and parent. Patrick attended Lewis University, where he earned degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. He went on to build a 25-year career in accounting and finance across the real estate, telecommunications, and engineering industries before transitioning into city government, where he has spent the past 13 years. His priorities are all in one sentence, but I guess we can assume he really cares. Other than his connection to Alderman Beale, Watson has no other community or political connections I can find, and there is currently no financial support to analyze. 

Connie Anderson, on the other hand, has connections as a Mayor Brandon Johnson appointee and holds endorsement from neighborhood and public school groups. Plus, we love a science-and-technology nerd, especially one who can mentor kids in them. 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Patrick Watson was endorsed by, and accepted the endorsement of, the Chicago FOP, whose penchant for brutality have cost Chicago taxpayers nearly a billion dollars in settlements since 2019. Clearly he cares about neither fiscal responsibility or the safety of predominantly Black and brown CPS students. We’re strengthening our endorsement of Connie Anderson.