What to know about the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary race
A former journalist turned progressive social media creator, a suburban mayor and a state senator are leading a field of an astounding 15 Democrats vying for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s seat in one of the most competitive races the state has seen in decades.
Candidates include Kat Abughazaleh, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), Phil Andrew, Bushra Amiwala, state Sen. Mike Simmons, economist Jeff Cohen, State Rep. Hoan Huynh, former federal prosecutor Nick Pyati, veteran Sam Polan, civil rights attorney Howard Rosenblum, Evanston resident Bethany Johnson, union organizer Justin Ford, Patricia A. Brown and Mark Arnold Fredrickson.
So what?
The seat in this very blue congressional district hasn't been open since 1999. Before that, the seat was represented by Sidney R. Yates, who held it for 24 terms — with a two-year gap for an unsuccessful Senate bid in 1962 against Everett Dirksen.
Rocio Cleveland, John Elleson, Paul Friedman and Mark Su are running in the Republican primary.
What does a U.S. representative do?
Representatives vote on federal laws, advocate for their districts and work to secure federal funding and other resources for constituents.
Why is U.S. representative a powerful position?
Members of Congress vote on laws that affect all Americans.
Who are the candidates?
- Kat Abughazaleh is a former journalist and progressive content creator who announced her bid even before Schakowsky announced her retirement.
- Bushra Amiwala, a Skokie School Board District member, is a 28-year-old self-described “homegrown fighter putting people first.”
- Phil Andrew survived a mass shooting in Winnetka in 1988, then became an FBI special agent specializing in negotiations, as well as a gun control advocate.
- Daniel Biss is a former mathematician, state representative and state senator who was elected Evanston mayor in 2021.
- Patricia A. Brown is a lifelong Evanston resident and previously worked in health care, education, corporate America and the American Bar Association.
- Jeff Cohen, an economist, says the country needs a “revenue-neutral income and child care bill” that would modernize both credits to allow for monthly or quarterly payments without changing eligibility criteria or benefit levels.
- Laura Fine, D-Glenview, has served in the state Senate since 2018 and previously served in the Illinois House.
- Mark Arnold Fredrickson is an IT consultant and attorney.
- Justin Ford is a health professional and union organizer. He calls his “signature” issue a federally mandated four-day work week.
- Hoan Huynh is the first refugee and Vietnamese American elected to office in Illinois. He is serving his second term in the Illinois House, representing the 13th District.
- Bethany Johnson worked on Angus King’s U.S. Senate campaign in Maine in 2018, and helped to fight for an LGBTQ+ rights ordinance in Missouri.
- Sam Polan served in the U.S. Army as a captain and later worked for the Department of Defense. His platform includes expanding mental health care and reproductive freedoms.
- Nick Pyati is a former Microsoft strategist who believes AI, clean energy and new technology are reshaping work and life.
- Howard Rosenblum is a Skokie native and for 33 years has litigated for the civil rights of people with disabilities.
- Mike Simmons was appointed to the state Senate in 2021 and was elected in 2022 to represent the 7th District. He’s the first Black person to serve the district and the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate.