UPDATED: Updating Developing Congressional Races
Thanks to retirements and redistricting, dozens are seeking spots in Congress in Illinois’ 17 districts in 2022.
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Petition circulation is underway and races for Illinois’ 17 congressional districts are shaping up. Here’s a rundown:
1st District
Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Chicago) is retiring. Chicago Alderwoman Pat Dowell dropped her bid for Secretary of State to jump into this race. Sen. Jacqui Collins (D-Chicago) is also seeking the seat.
Ward Superintendent Mike Panye is also recent to the race. Activist Jahmal Cole, who founded My Block My Hood My City, had the best fundraising of existing candidates, but had just $10,000 cash on hand at the end of September.
UPDATE: Rev. Jesse Jackson’s son, Jonathan, has filed paperwork with the FEC taking a strep toward a campaign in the district.
The 1st is 50% Black and Governor JB Pritzker won the district by 47 percentage points in 2018.
2nd District
A Republican recently asked me about his chances if he were to run in the district. When I told him Joe Biden won the district by 40 percentage points in 2020, the discussion was quickly dropped.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson) won’t get a challenge in the primary and will only have token GOP opposition in November.
3rd District
This is the new Latino plurality district (44% Hispanic to 43% White) stretches from Western Avenue in Chicago and snakes into the suburbs picking up Rosemont, Addison, West Chicago, Bartlett, and parts of Elgin. President Biden won the district by 41 percentage points in 2020.
Chicago Alderman Gil Villegas and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) appear to have solidified support for a one-on-one primary.
4th District
Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Chicago) won’t have any challenge in this 63% Hispanic district that President Biden won by 46 percentage points.
5th District
Congressman Mike Quigley’s (D-Chicago) district becomes narrower and more northerly under the new map. It now runs from Grand & State in River North to the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park up to O’Hare, Norridge, Park Ridge, Mt. Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Palatine. Governor Pritzker won the district by 27 percentage points in 2018.
6th District
Obviously, the member vs. member Democratic primary between Congressman Sean Casten (D-Downers Grove) and Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-LaGrange) is going to get a lot of attention over the next few months. It will probably get nasty and run to the left, which some Republicans feel could leave an opening for a pickup.
President Biden won the district by around 11 percentage points and Governor Pritzker won the district by around 5 percentage points. But the 2018 Attorney General’s race, which is seen as a more “baseline” for the political ideology of the state, was won by Attorney General Kwame Raoul by around 3 percentage points.
Controversial Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau has jumped into the Republican race, as has Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso. Rob Cruz, who was removed from his local school board for suing over the Governor’s mask mandate, only had around $20,000 cash on hand in September. Energy consultant Niki Conforti had around $7,000.
The one that raised my eyebrows as the name I saw on my cable spending report I got last night. Small business owner Scott Kaspar, who is running an ad on cable (FOX News and CNBC). It’s a small buy, but I hadn’t even heard of him at this point. Here’s the spot. It, well, leaves a lot to be desired to take him seriously.
I’m told there’s still an effort to draft Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) into the race, but she has yet to declare her intentions.
7th District
Longtime Congressman Danny Davis (D-Chicago) may get a run for his money from activist Kina Collins. She outraised him in Q3 2021, so it will be interesting to see the latest reports. Davis is 80 and Collins is 30.
8th District
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) has $10 million in the bank for this northwest suburban district. President Biden won the district by about 15 percentage points, but both the 2018 Governor and Attorney General race were inside 10 points. With that kind of a war chest, though, don’t expect Krishnamoorthi to see serious competition in November.
9th District
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) has one of the safest districts you can get and likely won’t see a serious challenge. Schakowsky turns 78 this spring, so she may be on retirement watch after this term.
10th District
The North Shore district of Congressman Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) is likely safe, though 2018 races were far closer than 2020 races.
I’ve heard rumors that former Congressman Bob Dold is considering jumping in the race again, but nobody has confirmed that.
11th District
This west suburban and exurban district is represented by Congressman Bill Foster (D-Naperville). President Biden won it by 15 points, but Governor Pritzker won it by just 2.5 percentage points.
Former Trump administration official and Rauner campaign employee Catalina Lauf redirected her aim from a potential primary against Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon), but was drawn into the new 11th while Kinzinger isn’t seeking re-election.
Lauf raises a ton of money, is a darling of the Trump crowd, but has a huge burn rate and likely turns off moderate voters in November.
Cassandra Tanner Miller, who lost her son in a violent domestic violence murder-suicide at the hands of her estranged husband, is getting in the race, we’re told. She has an incredibly compelling story and could run a campaign separate from typical GOP ideology. McHenry County Blog also noticed Jerry Evans of Warrenville and Andrea Heeg of Batavia have jumped in the race.
Retired Army Major Mike Pierce from Naperville had announced, but recently dropped his effort.
12th District
Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) will likely sail in this heavily Republican southern Illinois district.
13th District
Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) was drawn out of the 13th district to make it more Democratic. Former Pritzker adviser Nikki Budzinski is the favorite in the Democratic race, though she’s facing Champaign investment advisor David Palmer in the primary.
Jesse Reising, who recently moved back to Decatur from working in a Chicago law firm, announced he is running in the 13th. We’re also hearing former Trump delegate Maria Vasquez of Champaign is considering getting in the race. She did not respond to a message from The Illinoize Tuesday.
Regan Deering of Decatur jumped into the race Wednesday.
President Biden won the 13th by 11 percentage points in 2020, so this is likely to be a Democratic win.
14th District
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville) narrowly survived a challenge in 2020, and had her district drawn a little stronger in the new map.
The new district includes Joliet, DeKalb, and LaSalle-Peru. President Biden won the district by around 11 percentage points, but the 2018 Governor’s and Attorney General’s races were both inside 3.5 percentage points.
We reported yesterday Republican Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder is jumping into the race. Former talk show host Mike Koolidge, Kendall County GOP Chair Jim Marter, and small business owner Jack Lombardi are also in the race, though none have reported significant fundraising yet.
Our friends at McHenry County Blog yesterday caught former Kane County Board member Susan Starrett filed to run in the district. If she can raise any significant money, she could set herself apart from a field of white dudes.
15th District
Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) lives in the district and Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) lives just outside of it. They’ll likely clash in a battle for the soul of the GOP in June.
Davis is a far more mainstream Republican and Miller has a Trump endorsement and the support of the right wing House Freedom Caucus. This is already getting nasty. Davis will likely outraise Miller by a lot and will surely put together a scathing ad program that makes her look awful. We’ll see.
There won’t be significant Democratic opposition.
16th District
Congressman Darrin LaHood (R-Peoria) avoided a primary when Adam Kinzinger stepped away. The district is safe GOP.
17th District
The 17th could turn into the best GOP pickup opportunity in the country. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) isn’t seeking re-election and Republican Esther Joy King, who narrowly lost to Bustos in 2020 is sitting on around $650,000 and a Democratic field that has yet to catch fire. Former Rep. Litesa Wallace of Rockford likely has the best name ID in the field.
We’re still waiting on what Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) will do. He hasn’t publicly announced his plans and hasn’t been returning my messages. He is likely the top named Democrat still out there with the best chance to keep the seat for the Democrats.