Che “Rhymefest” Smith, the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist turned activist and politician, sailed to victory Tuesday to keep his seat on the first fully elected Chicago Public Schools board.

Smith was reelected to the District 10a seat, covering parts of the mid-South Side.

His only opponent was nonprofit leader Tameka Walton, who ran as a write-in candidate after her name was booted off the ballot. Smith far outraised Walton, bringing in nearly three times as much in campaign contributions.

Stretching from Bronzeville to South Shore, District 10a’s 33 schools include some of the South Side’s most sought-after schools, including Kenwood Academy High School and Murray Language Academy Elementary School, as well as several neighborhood schools that are considered low-performing and have lost enrollment in recent years. A large percentage of students are choosing neighborhood high schools, according to data compiled by Chalkbeat. More than 88% of the students in 10a are Black and nearly 7% are Hispanic.

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