The dozen incumbent Democrats who represent Chicago and its suburbs in Congress head into the Nov. 5 election with a sizable advantage over their Republican challengers.
Running in districts drawn by Democrats in Springfield to maintain their party’s edge after the state lost a congressional seat following the 2020 census, the 12 incumbents in the Chicago region collectively have outraised their opponents by a more than 16-to-1 ratio, according to federal campaign data.
But the GOP is hoping to make inroads by focusing on the high prices consumers are still finding in stores, despite declining inflation, and the number of migrants who have arrived in Illinois from the southern border that has resulted in strained city and state budgets.
Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping to capitalize on their home-field advantage of representing a heavily Democratic region. They also have renewed energy among their base, particularly women and young voters, with Vice President Kamala Harris now leading the ticket as the presidential nominee versus the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
On the issues, Democrats are focusing on protecting reproductive health care, including abortion rights, and warning of what another Trump presidency with majorities in the House and Senate would mean to American democracy.
Here’s a look at the races in the Chicago region.
1st District, South Side to southwest suburbs
Rep. Jonathan Jackson is in a solidly blue seat once held by former Rep. Bobby Rush before he retired two years ago. After beating out more than a dozen opponents in the 2022 Democratic primary, Jackson — one of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s three sons — ran unopposed in this year’s Democratic primary.
Early in his freshman term, Jonathan Jackson said he planned to use his position as a member of the Agriculture Committee to help the whole 1st Congressional District, including its more rural areas, following complaints for years Rush ignored parts of the district. The district snakes from Chicago’s South Side to far southwest suburban Braidwood. Jackson also was an early supporter of a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, a position held by many progressives supportive of Palestine.
Jackson’s opponent in the general election, Republican Marcus Lewis, is an ardent Trump supporter and, in a recent interview with the Tribune, echoed some of Trump’s rhetoric about Harris that she is “unqualified, a dummy” as well as that she was “selected by the devil” to run for president. Lewis described abortion as “protection for sexual immorality” and, speaking about schoolchildren, said he opposes “training them up to see homosexuality as normal.”
Jackson, whose campaign did not make him available for an interview, has raised more than $592,000 during this election cycle and had $78,000 in his account through the end of September, according to the most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission. Lewis has not reported receiving or spending any campaign cash.
2nd District, south suburbs to Danville
The 2nd Congressional District covers city, suburban and rural areas, from 43rd Street and Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side to south of Danville along the Indiana border and into Champaign County.
Rep. Robin Kelly, an African American Democrat from Matteson and former state lawmaker first elected to Congress in 2013, is facing a challenge from Latina Republican Ashley Ramos.
A former chair of the Democratic Party in Illinois, Kelly has called for Congress to protect abortion rights, and she’s prioritized gun safety, health care, maternal health and jobs.
Kelly has raised $1.7 million this election cycle and has $2 million in her campaign coffers, including contributions from labor unions and the medical and insurance industries, according to federal campaign finance filings.
Ramos, of rural Clifton, worked for an insurance company and describes herself as an e-commerce specialist. She started a nonprofit called Back the Blue Events to support police, and she volunteers helping those with addictions and other problems. She said her top issues include opposing abortion, protecting gun rights, supporting free markets and school choice and making the border more secure.
Ramos has not reported raising any campaign funds.
3rd District, Logan Square to Wheaton
Freshman Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Chicago and GOP challenger John Booras of Homer Glen sat down at Wheaton City Hall for a forum with the local League of Women Voters earlier this month to discuss issues from tax reform to U.S. Supreme Court ethics to the war in Gaza — in which progressive Ramirez was an early advocate for a cease-fire.
But the issue most on the minds of voters in the sprawling 3rd Congressional District — which runs from Chicago’s Logan Square through a swath of once-red DuPage County and up into Elgin — is the economy, Ramirez said in an interview after the forum.
“People feel like they, in some cases, work and work and work, and they still can’t afford their home and pay the car payment,” said Ramirez, who was elected in 2022 after having previously served two terms in the Illinois House.
Booras, a tax attorney and former police officer, said in an interview he’s running to represent members of the community who aren’t as far to the left as Ramirez. He said he has concerns about illegal immigration and said abortion rights should be left to states. He hasn’t raised any campaign cash, federal campaign finance records show, while Ramirez has brought in more than $980,000 this election cycle and has more than $436,000 cash on hand.
4th District, Little Village to Melrose Park
Coming off a disappointing fourth-place finish in last year’s Chicago mayoral race, Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García is facing a challenge from a relative newcomer who lives just down the street from García in the Little Village neighborhood.
Two years ago, progressive Democratic stalwart García won by 40 percentage points in the newly drawn, vaguely horseshoe-shaped district that connects heavily Latino Southwest Side neighborhoods and western suburbs such as Melrose Park by running through affluent, predominantly white towns such as Riverside, La Grange, Hinsdale and Oak Brook.
Like other incumbents, García holds an enormous fundraising advantage over his Republican opponent, Lupe Castillo, who has raised and spent less than $5,000, according to federal campaign finance records. García, meanwhile, raised more than $796,000 and had more than $88,000 on hand at the end of September.
Castillo said the congressman is out of touch with people in his community. She also said she doesn’t think the Little Village neighborhood has improved in the years that García, who since the 1980s has represented the area on the city, county, state and federal levels, has been in office.
“As a matter of fact, I see a lot of downfall in this neighborhood,” she said.
García said he has “delivered for the people” during his three terms in Congress, including bringing $50 million in federal funding for projects across the district, from health care facilities and day care centers to roads and sewers.
“I’m looking forward to returning to Congress to continue to deliver on practical solutions for working families and addressing critical issues like climate change and reproductive rights,” he said.
Also on the ballot is Ed Hershey of Chicago, running under the banner of the left-wing Working Class Party. Hershey ran against García in 2022 and received less than 4% of the vote.
5th District, North Side to northwest suburbs
In the 5th Congressional District race, Rep. Mike Quigley is running for reelection against Republican Tommy Hanson for the fourth time. The seat represents a solidly Democratic North Side and northwest suburban district.
Quigley thrust himself into the national spotlight this summer as one of the first Democrats to call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race. In an interview this month, the congressman of 15 years said it was “the most difficult political thing I’ve ever had to do.” But voters now generally understand the stance he took, the Chicago congressman said.
“I think most have now seen that it was the right thing to do. I’m not sure I’m going to get invited to the holiday party at the White House, but there are more important things,” Quigley said.
Hanson had less than $500 on hand, compared with Quigley’s $1.2 million, according to their latest federal filings.
A self-described MAGA Republican who lives in Chicago, Hanson said he knows what he’s up against, but said, “I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, and I’m just doing this for Him.”
6th District, Lombard to Tinley Park
In the 6th Congressional District, which stretches from west suburban Lombard southeast to south suburban Tinley Park and parts of Chicago’s Southwest Side, fear about the future of democracy is a consistent theme, Rep. Sean Casten said.
A three-term Democratic congressman from Downers Grove, Casten said keeping America’s democracy secure underlies concerns constituents have about the economy, access to abortion, ethics on the U.S. Supreme Court and a host of other issues.
“I’m just trying to make sure that people still have that sense of agency and hope for the future,” he said.
When it comes to an issue like high prices at stores, Casten said, part of that is making sure voters are armed with accurate information about the state of the economy, such as data showing wages rising faster than inflation.
His Republican opponent, Glen Ellyn businesswoman Niki Conforti, has criticized Casten over economic issues such as the federal deficit and high prices, as well as social concerns, including the congressman’s opposition to proposed legislation placing restrictions on transgender girls and women participating in sports.
Casten has far outraised Conforti. He’s brought in more than $2.9 million in contributions through September and had nearly $1.3 million on hand, while Conforti raised about $130,000 and had about $38,000 on hand, according to federal campaign finance records.
7th District, Chicago’s downtown to Hillside
After defeating four challengers in the Democratic primary, Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago is facing perennial candidate Republican Chad Koppie in the 7th Congressional District.
Davis, 83, is one of the oldest members of Congress, and Koppie is 86. Davis is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and he said one issue keeping him in Congress is increasing access to early education.
“I know that you can’t lead where you don’t go, and you can’t teach what you don’t know,” Davis said in a recent interview.
Koppie, a former president of the Kane County regional school board, said his primary issue is opposing abortion. He has not raised any campaign cash, according to federal filings.
Davis has raised more than $812,000 through September and had nearly $127,00 on hand in a district that includes the Loop, suburban Hillside and parts of Chicago’s South Side.
8th District, O’Hare to Sleepy Hollow
One of the most prodigious fundraisers in Congress, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, is running for a fifth term representing a predominantly suburban district that stretches from O’Hare International Airport to northwest suburban Huntley and south into Kane County.
After making national headlines this year for co-sponsoring legislation signed by Biden that seeks to force the Chinese parent company of TikTok to sell the popular social media platform, the Democratic congressman is focusing his reelection bid on more traditional issues, including abortion rights, gun control and the economy.
Krishnmoorthi said voters in the district, which he won by nearly 14 points two years ago, support protecting access to reproductive health care and enacting “commonsense gun laws.”
GOP challenger Mark Rice, a first-time candidate and an energy entrepreneur from Chicago, has focused his campaign on the issues of crime, immigration and the economy.
“I can connect the dots to where our leadership, including my opponent, have created this problem at worst, and at best, just not dealt with it at all over the past several years,” Rice said.
As of Sept. 30, Krishnamoorthi had raised more than $10 million during the current election cycle and had nearly $18.5 million on hand, according to federal campaign finance records. During the same period, Rice had raised more than $270,000, including $152,350 he lent his own campaign, and he ended September with more than $140,000 on hand.
9th District, Uptown to Algonquin
The 9th Congressional District snakes in a thin strip from Chicago through the near North Shore suburbs into Lake and McHenry counties. Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 80, has held the seat since 1999.
In a candidate forum with Republican challenger Seth Cohen, Schakowsky said she supported abortion rights, and she called for raising the federal hourly minimum wage beyond the current $7.25 and for banning assault weapons nationally.
She’s raised nearly $1.5 million this election cycle and had more than $898,000 on hand as of Sept. 30, according to federal campaign finance filings.
Cohen, at 27 one of the youngest candidates for Congress, is a Marine Corps veteran who graduated from the University of Chicago. He started a nonprofit for student veterans.
Cohen called for abortion to be decided at the state level, proposed lowering income taxes and cutting federal spending, and said he supports eliminating deduction “loopholes” for the wealthy and corporations.
Cohen’s campaign has raised about $8,700, and he had about $3,300 on hand, the filing showed.
10th District, North Shore to Antioch
The 10th Congressional District covers much of the North Shore and Lake County. Both Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider and his Republican challenger, Jim Carris, support Israel in its war with Hamas, and support abortion rights.
Schneider, of Highland Park, describes himself as an independent problem-solver. He said he wants to make health care, college and vocational training more affordable.
Carris, an attorney and businessman from Lake Forest, identified inflation, national security and public safety as top issues. He promised to fight government overregulation and high taxes.
Schneider, endorsed by several unions and Planned Parenthood, has raised nearly $3.6 million and had nearly $1.7 million in the bank as of the end of the September, according to federal campaign finance filings. Carris has raised more than $648,000 and had more than $236,000 on hand. Carris also has been endorsed by former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and former U.S. Rep. Bob Dold, both Republicans who previously represented the district.
11th District, Naperville to Belvidere
The 11th District includes parts of the region’s collar counties, including the largest suburbs in the area, Aurora and Naperville. Rep. Bill Foster, of Naperville, is a physicist and businessman who has held office since 2008. He supports the Biden economic plan and names inflation and reproductive rights as the biggest issues he’s hearing about from voters.
Like most Democratic incumbents, Foster has a significant advantage in fundraising, with nearly $3 million raised this election cycle through September. His GOP challenger, Jerry Evans of Warrenville, has raised nearly $552,000, much of it from the conservative WinRed Political Action Committee. Evans had about $58,000 on hand, while Foster had $2.2 million, federal campaign finance records show.
Evans is a Wheaton College graduate who runs his own music school. He has been endorsed by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, whose mental health and job training programs for inmates Evans said he would promote as a national standard.
Evans said, if elected, he would limit spending to fight inflation and secure the border
14th District, Plainfield to LaSalle County
The youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress when she unseated Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren in 2018, Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Naperville, is seeking a fourth term. She is facing a challenge from perennial candidate and former Kendall County GOP chairman James Marter, of Oswego.
Underwood, who worked in the Obama administration and was a nurse before entering politics, said protecting access to health care, including abortion rights and other reproductive services, is a top issue for voters in the suburban and exurban district that runs from the Joliet area through parts of Naperville and Aurora to DeKalb and LaSalle counties.
Republicans, including her opponent, have been advocating for years to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Underwood said, and Marter also has called for a federal abortion ban.
“This issue remains front of mind for voters, and there’s not room for equivocation or these kinds of blustering that we’ve heard from Donald Trump, (vice presidential nominee) JD Vance and obviously Jim Marter,” she said. “I wouldn’t call it blustering. I’d call it terrifying.”
Marter, an information-technology professional and Oswego Library Board member who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primaries for U.S. Senate in 2016 and for Congress the past three elections, said he opposes abortion without exceptions.
The real issues that are top of mind for voters, Marter said, are inflation and the “invasion at the southern border.” He said he supports Trump’s proposal for mass deportation of immigrants who have entered the country without legal permission.
Underwood has raised nearly $3.8 million this election cycle and ended September with $2.4 million in her campaign account, according to federal campaign finance records. Marter has raised nearly $274,000 and had about $123,000 on hand.
