With Dick Durbin retiring, the Democrats are playing musical chairs in Illinois. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly are giving up their seats in the House to make a grab for Durbin’s in the Senate. (Up by more than 20 points in a January poll, “Call Me Raja” stands an excellent chance of becoming the longest-named U.S. senator.) And with two other retirements from Congress, we’re left with four contested primaries for Chicago-area House seats. Here’s the lowdown.
2nd District
One name you’ll recognize in the race to replace Kelly is Jesse Jackson Jr. And no, you’re not losing your mind: The civil rights icon’s son held this South Side (and beyond) seat from 1995 to 2012 before doing 17 months in federal prison for campaign finance fraud. (Quick refresher: He spent contributors’ money on such tchotchkes as a $43,000 Rolex.) But Junior’s back, baby! And he’s hoping the 2nd District is in a forgiving mood. Which it might very well be, because polling has him as the front-runner. But keep an eye on Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, whose emphasis on working-class affordability just might click this cycle. Also running are Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown, Illinois Senate Black Caucus Chair Willie Preston, and seven others. Is it stuffy in here, or is it just me?
7th District
The 84-year-old Danny Davis is retiring after 30 years in the House, a span in which he never chaired a single committee. Can this downtown and West Side district find someone more energetic? Davis is backing state Representative La Shawn K. Ford, whom you probably won’t remember for winning 1 percent of the vote in the 2019 mayoral election. Ford was also once indicted on federal bank fraud charges but beat the rap, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. His main competition is Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, whose husband, Jason, is her alderperson. Also in the race: Richard Boykin, whose claim to fame is losing his Cook County Board seat to Brandon Johnson in 2018.
8th District
Eight Democrats (and four Republicans) are vying for Krishnamoorthi’s freed-up seat. Angling for a comeback in this northwest suburban district is Melissa Bean, a moderate Democrat who held the post from 2005 to 2011 before getting booted in the Tea Party wave. (The district has since become much more liberal.) But keep an eye on Schaumburg tech entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed, who won 30 percent of the vote against Krishnamoorthi in the 2022 primary, and LGBTQ+ millennial Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who has the endorsement of Joe Walsh — no, not the Eagles guitarist but rather the once-Republican-now-Democrat who ousted Bean from this seat back when. Siri, play “Circle of Life.”
9th District
When Jan Schakowsky, who has held this seat for 27 years, announced she would not seek reelection, everyone and their mother’s state legislator threw their hat in the ring to represent the North Side and northern suburbs. Early on, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss (yep, he ran for governor in 2018) and Gen Z influencer Kat Abughazaleh (yep, she just moved to Illinois and launched her campaign with the slogan “What if we didn’t suck?”) were neck and neck for the lead. Then Biss got the endorsement of Schakowsky, who said, “We cannot allow out-of-state donors and special interests to buy this seat.” That was “in your ear” to Abughazaleh, who has been stuffing her carpetbag with money from her social media followers and L.A. pals. A few fresh millennial faces help round out the field. Smell that, Chuck Schumer? It’s the scent of youth!