Congress is on track for record retirements. In Illinois, that’s created a candidate frenzy

By SOPHIA TAREEN

CHICAGO (AP) — Political printing presses at their busiest in decades. Debate organizers limiting participation due to so many candidates. Constant political ads on television and social media.

The signs that Illinois is having one of its most frenzied primary elections in years are everywhere.

Congress is on track to see record turnover this year as lawmakers forgo reelection, and in few places is that spate of retirements felt as deeply as in Illinois. Fueled by the retirements of senior members of Congress, six House and Senate seats in the reliably Democratic state are open. That’s offered a rare chance for the party to draw a new crop of candidates — all told, nearly 60 hopefuls are vying for the six seats — and for the winners to help shape the next Democratic caucus. It also has left voters with mounds of homework ahead of the March 17 primary.

“Having all these names and faces thrown at you and trying to remember which one is which, it’s disorientating,” voter James Beatley said.

He’s been represented his entire 21 years by the same Chicago-area congressman, retiring Rep. Danny Davis. Now Beatley has 13 Democrats to choose from. It’s already led to spirited discussions about political fundraising and term limits among other Democrats at the University of Illinois Chicago, a hub of political activity in the nation’s third-largest city where Beatley is a student.

He remains undecided.

Illinois’ big share of House retirements

Illinois represents roughly one-quarter, or five of 21, of all House Democratic retirements and 10% of all House retirements in the country, according to an Associated Press analysis. By one expert’s measure, it’s Illinois’ largest number of open House seats going back at least 70 years.

Currently, five of Illinois’ 17 congressional seats, or approximately 29%, are open. According to University of Illinois political scientist Brian Gaines, the percentage was roughly that high twice in the 1940s, with seven out of Illinois’ then-26 seats open.

Retiring incumbents say it’s time to remake the party in an increasingly divided political environment, despite losing experience.

“Illinois is undergoing tremendous change, and you can kind of feel it,” said the 84-year-old Davis, who was first elected in 1996. “It opens up opportunities for a new generation of leadership.”

Sifting through candidates

The dozens of candidates in the five open Chicago-area House races include 20-something newcomers, lawyers and two former members angling for a comeback. They’ve clashed over funding tied to Israel and disapproval of aggressive immigration enforcement that rocked cities including Chicago.

The most candidates are in the district of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who’s retiring after 14 terms. Fifteen Democrats include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, digital creator Kat Abughazaleh and state lawmakers.

Maria Lordots, who’s studying at UIC to be a teacher, will vote in Schakowsky’s district, which includes parts of Chicago’s North Side and suburbs. The 20-year-old has scoured candidate websites but been frustrated by social media.

“You see a few clips, and that sort of influences you to or away from a candidate,” she said. She’s supporting Abughazaleh, because she’s unhappy with establishment Democrats.

Roberto Gomez-Valadez, a 21-year-old UIC student pursuing business, feels her pain.

He’s from a suburb south of Chicago where Rep. Robin Kelly is seeking retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat. There are 10 Democratic candidates in Kelly’s district including state lawmakers and former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., son of the late civil rights leader.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Gomez-Valadez, who plans to vote for state Sen. Robert Peters because he was generous with his time when they met in person. “When there’s so many candidates, overlapping opinions, it’s so much harder to stand out.”

Also running for the Senate is Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, leaving eight Democrats in the primary for his congressional seat, including former Rep. Melissa Bean. There’s another seat left open by Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s departure, though the Democratic primary is uncontested after Garcia’s political maneuvering to get his chief of staff on the ballot.

Too many debates to count

Even veterans of the political season are having trouble tracking debates.

The League of Women Voters has sponsored candidate forums for about a century. Its Illinois organizers say this year there are more than double the number of debates than usual.

“It’s usually our schtick, and it’s a thing this time around,” said Roberta Borrino from the League of Women Voters of Illinois.

So many candidates has also meant space and time limitations. Some forums are spread over two days. One group had candidates speak in batches, with one cohort waiting in a separate room while others debated.

At a recent UIC debate for Davis’ district, there was one microphone per three candidates. Candidates got 45 seconds to answer and one rebuttal over two hours.

“You have to get really good at answering questions in barely no time,” said candidate Anabel Mendoza, a 28-year-old immigrant rights organizer. “You get really good at getting to the point.”

Printing presses are buzzing

Some households are seeing mailboxes full of congressional political ads for the first time.

Richard Lewandowski runs a family-owned printing press in Chicago that’s been in business for 50 years. To keep up with the demand for campaign mailers, employees are working seven days a week for up to 12 hours daily.

“You only see a midterm like this once every 20 years,” Lewandowski said.

Adding to the intensity are contested races for the state Legislature and state constitutional officers. Billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker, who’s seeking a third term, has backed his Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for the Senate.

Elections officials hope for a big turnout

With most Democratic primary winners expected to win outright in November, the stakes are high.

Election officials say they see encouraging signs of a turnaround after 2024 saw the lowest turnout in more than 50 years. Statewide primary turnout two years ago was 19%, according to the Illinois Board of Elections.

In Chicago, more than 43,000 early ballots have been cast by mail and in person with two weeks until the primary. The number is double the roughly 20,000 in the 2022 midterm primary and roughly quadruple the 10,000 in 2018 with the same number of days until the election, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.

“When districts are competitive it does bring additional people to the polls,” board spokesman Max Bever said.

Associated Press reporter Maya Sweedler contributed from Washington.