Litesa Wallace's Congressional Comeback Hopes
Former State Representative Litesa Wallace of Rockford is the first major Democrat to jump into the race in the new 17th congressional district. (Photo provided)
In more than two terms in the Illinois House, Democrat Litesa Wallace made her mark as a progressive Democrat who could get things done.
After finishing second in the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor in 2018 with then-Sen. Daniel Biss, Wallace was out of politics.
Now she’s attempting a comeback.
Last week, Wallace was the first major Democrat to announce her candidacy for the 17th district in Congress, that has been redrawn to include much of Rockford, the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
The 43-year-old single mom and social worker says she was drawn back into the political fray because of the impact policy can have on people.
“[In the legislature] I really had the opportunity to deeply dive into how public policy making has huge impacts,” she said. “I don’t think people often connect the dots how the decisions made in our state’s and nation’s capitals can affect your daily life. I loved it. I fell in love with it. I went from helping people in a therapy room to realizing what policies need to be in place for their families to succeed.”
Wallace doesn’t hide her progressive bona fides, but in a district separated by just 4 percentage points in 2020 that will likely command time and attention from national players, she knows how important it is to find common ground.
“One thing about me is that, before that 2018 cycle [running for Lt. Governor], I had never labeled myself on the political spectrum,” she said. “But I think there is an appetite for things that maybe a few years ago had been considered very leftist. Now, and particularly during the pandemic, we know that there are ways that our government can and should step up to help families and communities. I think that labels will fall away a little bit as time goes on.”
Wallace says she would have voted for the $1 trillion infrastructure package President Joe Biden signed into law Monday. A group of progressive lawmakers had threatened to sink the bill without last minute concessions.
Wallace is expecting a competitive primary, with either Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) or Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford), her successor in the Statehouse, considering a run. A likely fall matchup with Republican Esther Joy King, who has already banked $650,000 in campaign cash, awaits whatever Democrat wins the primary in the potentially swing district.