With a sweeping transit shakeup just weeks away, Mayor Brandon Johnson is making a last-minute push for the Chicago Transit Authority to lock in a permanent president, urging the transit board to act before a new state law rewrites who controls Chicago's trains and buses. The plea adds urgency to an already delicate leadership fight as the city and state prepare for the Northern Illinois Transit Authority to take over regional oversight next month.
Johnson pressed the CTA board this month
In a May 7 letter to the CTA board, Johnson asked directors to choose a permanent leader and said his office remains open to reviewing names and resumes for the job, according to the Chicago Tribune. The letter arrived as the board, which the Tribune reports includes three of seven mayoral appointees, weighs whether to elevate Acting President Nora Leerhsen, who has run the agency since early 2025. Johnson's outreach is widely seen as an attempt to shape short-term leadership before the law's governance changes kick in.
NITA law rewrites who has the say
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, enacted last year and set to take effect June 1, 2026, overhauls regional transit governance and replaces the RTA, according to the Illinois General Assembly. The statute states that all current CTA board members' terms expire on Sept. 1, 2026, and that the Chicago Transit Board will be reconstituted that day with two gubernatorial appointees, three mayoral appointees, and two Cook County appointees, a new balance of appointment power that folds some CTA seats into NITA's structure. Together, those deadlines narrow the mayor's window to install a permanent chief under the current rules.
Who's running the CTA now
Nora Leerhsen has served as the agency's acting president since early 2025 and continues to oversee day-to-day operations at the authority, according to the CTA's governance information. Her tenure has included steering the agency through funding uncertainty and federal scrutiny, and agency materials indicate she has emphasized stability and rider engagement while leaders tackle budget and safety priorities. That track record has made her the leading internal contender as the board debates whether to confirm an in-house pick or launch a broader search.
Why the timing matters
The NITA law brought in new revenue that helped avert deep service cuts the CTA was facing, but it also shifted oversight and political control away from a board entirely appointed by the mayor, a tradeoff that makes the timing of a permanent hire politically sensitive. Coverage from Mass Transit magazine and reporting on the reform notes that the funding package helped the CTA dodge a fiscal cliff while setting up the governance changes that begin this summer. Local reporting at Streetsblog Chicago also flagged the recent seating of Lily Diego-Johnson and the tight window before the new rules take effect in September.
What comes next
The CTA board now must decide whether to name a permanent president under the current seven-member structure or wait until the reconstituted board and NITA roles are in place on Sept. 1. Johnson's office told the Chicago Tribune that it remains open to reviewing candidates and resumes for the job, and board leaders say they plan to weigh continuity alongside public input. Riders and advocates have pushed for a clear, public timeline so leadership turnover does not distract from basic service and safety work.
With the NITA law taking effect June 1 and all current board terms resetting on Sept. 1, the race to fill the CTA's top job is squeezed into a few short months. Whoever gets the nod will guide day-to-day operations as the agency wraps major capital projects and works to stabilize its finances.
