Illinois’ congressional delegation is getting a makeover. In the March 17 Democratic primary, voters will decide who fills five open U.S. House seats in the Chicago area — vacancies created by retirements and Senate bids that together have triggered one of the most consequential congressional re shuffles in decades. Three incumbents announced plans to leave Congress, while two others are running for U.S. Senate, opening four seats outright. A fifth contest was thrown into turmoil after U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García announced late in the election cycle that he would not seek reelection, a move that cleared the way for his chosen successor while complicating efforts by potential write-in candidates. All five districts are held by Democrats, making the Democratic primary races the ones to watch. Republicans are also fielding candidates in several races as the GOP nationally hopes to maintain its thin majority in the House. Sign up for The Spin, our political newsletter Who will fill Dick Durbin’s US Senate seat in Illinois? Here are the candidates. JB Pritzker: From political neophyte to 43rd governor of Illinois — and potential US presidential candidate 2nd Congressional District Stretching from 43rd Street on Chicago’s South Side along the Indiana border south to downstate Danville, Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District has been represented by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly since 2013. Here are those vying to replace Kelly, who is running for Senate and told the Tribune in May she did not plan to endorse a successor. Donna Miller, Democrat Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller speaks during a Cook County Board meeting in Chicago on May 15, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A Lynwood resident and Chicago native, Donna Miller is serving her second term as 6th District commissioner on the Cook County Board. She is vice president of the Illinois Democratic Women organization, former president of the Democratic Women of the South Suburbs and past board chair of Planned Parenthood of Illinois and its political action committee. “My grandmother, mother and sister were all teachers, and my dad wore this country’s uniform his entire career. I’ve carried that legacy forward,” Miller said. “On the Cook County Board, I’ve worked to expand health care access, lower costs and deliver better care — especially for women and communities of color.” Miller said she’s running for Congress because “Washington is tearing up so much of our progress for working families and giving tax breaks to billionaires.” Robert Peters, Democrat State Sen. Robert Peters speaks during an event commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the Scopes trial near the Clarence Darrow Bridge in Jackson Park on March 13, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) State Sen. Robert Peters, a South Side native and community organizer, received an early endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, boosting his standing with progressives. “I have a record and I have a personal narrative that I think really touches on where we’re at right now,” Peters said. Born deaf with a speech impediment, Peters said he was shaped by his adoptive father’s work as a civil rights lawyer. In Springfield, Peters led efforts to end cash bail for nonviolent crimes and to strengthen abortion protections in Illinois after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. A member of the legislature since 2019, Peters serves on the Senate Democrats’ leadership team and the Legislative Black Caucus. Jesse Jackson Jr., Democrat Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. answers a question on health care policy during a forum for candidates running in the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District at St. Paul and the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Chicago on Jan. 17, 2026. (Troy Stolt/for the Chicago Tribune) Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is seeking to reclaim the seat he held for nearly 17 years before resigning amid a corruption probe. During his campaign launch, Jackson leaned into his lineage as the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the famed civil rights leader, and in the campaign video partly quoted remarks his father made at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. “My father said in that speech, ‘If in my low moments in word, deed or attitude’ — and I might add judgment — ‘through some error of temper, taste or tone, I’ve caused anyone discomfort, created pain or revived someone’s fears, that was not my truest self,’” Jackson Jr. said. The speech went on: “‘Please forgive me.’” After his resignation, Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He hosts a talk show on WVON-AM. Willie Preston, Democrat State Sen. Willie Preston applauds invited guests as Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his State of the State and budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois Capitol, Feb. 21, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) State Sen. Willie Preston of Chicago, who chairs the Senate Legislative Black Caucus, is pitching himself as a champion of working-class families who was shaped by South Side struggles. He’s campaigning as someone who will bring to Washington, D.C., “a new breed of leadership, not Twitter champions or the politics of the past dressed up in redemption.” Preston has faced scrutiny over Facebook posts from 2020 — before he held public office as a Democrat in the state legislature — praising President Donald Trump and ridiculing Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. In a recent Tribune interview, Preston confirmed writing the posts but said they don’t reflect how he would legislate. “No, no, no. No, no, no, no,” Preston said when asked whether he actually voted for Trump, given a 2020 Facebook post claiming he did. “That’s totally false.” Yumeka Brown, Democrat Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown answers a question on health care policy during a forum for candidates running in the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District at St. Paul and the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Chicago, Jan. 17, 2026. (Troy Stolt/for the Chicago Tribune) A three-term Matteson village clerk and a commissioner on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board, Yumeka Brown told the Southtown she is running to “elevate the mission in Congress to protect Medicaid, Social Security, the rights of women, and to guard against (President) Donald Trump’s planned destruction of the Affordable (Care) Act.” In 2024, she unsuccessfully sought to be appointed to replace Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough on the November ballot after the longtime party stalwart died in office. Democrat Adal Regis, who worked in Kelly’s district office, is also running. Others set to be on the ballot, according to the state elections board, include Eric France, a management consultant, attorney Patrick “PJK” Keating, Toni C. Brown and Sidney Moore. On the GOP side, Michael Scott Noack is the sole Republican expected on the ballot after a primary opponent withdrew. 4th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García last fall faced backlash for quietly dropping his bid for a fifth term and essentially clearing the way for his chief of staff, Patty García. The congressman later said in an interview with the Tribune that he didn’t make his decision public until it was too late for others to run for office because of a confluence of family and health events around that time. The district runs from the Pilsen and West Lawn neighborhoods west through Cicero to Hinsdale before turning north to Northlake and Franklin Park. Patty García, Democrat Patty García, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, at Las Carnitas Uruapan in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Nov. 14, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Prior to joining U.S. Rep. “Chuy” Garcia’s staff in 2019, Patty García worked for groups that included the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, according to her LinkedIn. She earned a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2011. García has defended the maneuver that eased her path to being the only Democrat on the ballot, saying there was little time for a public announcement. She could also face competition from independent candidates in the general election. Republican Lupe Castillo and Ed Hershey, who filed to run as a member of the Working Class Party, are also running. In late January, progressive Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez declared he planned to run as an independent in the November election. Mayra Macías, who was executive director of the Latino Victory Project, also said she planned to run in November. Both Sigcho-Lopez and Macías, whose names will not be on the March 17 ballots, said they were running as an alternative to Patty García, saying they didn’t like the maneuver that made her the only candidate in the Democratic primary. 7th Congressional District Beginning in Chicago’s downtown and heading through the West Side and into the west suburbs, including Oak Park and Hillside, Illinois’ 7th Congressional District has been represented by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis since 1997. La Shawn Ford, Democrat State Rep. La Shawn Ford, center, and Rep. Justin Slaughter talk before Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his annual budget address on Feb. 19, 2025, in Springfield. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) State Rep. La Shawn Ford of Chicago got an early boost in the race when Davis endorsed him while announcing the congressman’s own retirement. At a joint news conference, Ford called Davis’ endorsement “a strong affirmation of our shared mission to uplift and empower the people we serve.” “This campaign isn’t just about securing your vote. It’s about sending a firm message against ‘Make America Hate Again,’” Ford said, altering Trump’s hallmark slogan. A state representative since 2007, Ford is chair of the committee covering appropriations for higher education and he’s advocated allowing hemp businesses to continue operating with regulations, ending ticketing in schools and a supervised drug-use site on the West Side. Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Democrat Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, a candidate for the congressional seat held by Danny Davis, speaks during a candidate forum at Malcolm X College on Nov. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is taking a second shot at the 7th Congressional District seat after losing to Davis by more than 30 percentage points two years ago. She finished second among a field of five candidates that included activist Kina Collins. A lifelong resident of the district, Conyears-Ervin was first elected city treasurer in 2019 and won a second term in 2023 after previously serving in the Illinois House. Her husband is Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th. “If you send me to Congress to fight for you, I’ll never give up until they are the ones that throw in the towel,” Conyears-Ervin said in her campaign announcement. “Those landlords? They’re going to pay to fix those properties. Those billionaires? They’re going to pay their fair share in taxes to fix our roads and our schools. And Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans? I will stand up to them because I work for you, not them.” Conyears-Ervin has had to fend off allegations that she violated the city ethics code by improperly firing two employees, among others. City ethics officials later fined her a total of $70,000. Kina Collins, Democrat Kina Collins, a candidate for Congress, listens to speakers during a news conference at Federal Plaza, Jan. 15, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Activist Kina Collins is making her fourth bid for the seat, billing herself as “Proven. Persistent. Progressive.” The Austin neighborhood native finished third two years ago after losing to Davis by just 6 percentage points in the 2022 primary. Collins founded the Chicago Neighborhood Alliance in 2017 to help residents of places affected by violence and later served on the Biden presidential transition team and as executive director of One Aim Illinois, a gun violence prevention coalition, according to her campaign. “When I go to Congress, I’ll bring the same spirit I’ve carried throughout my life: the spirit of organizing, the belief that people power can change everything, and the conviction that our government must work for all of us, not just the wealthy few,” Collins said on her website. Richard Boykin, Democrat Richard Boykin after a news conference on May 3, 2022, at Chicago Temple. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Former Cook County Commissioner and one-time Davis chief of staff, Richard Boykin is now running for his ex-boss’s seat. Boykin has been searching, so far unsuccessfully, for a way back into elected office since losing his Cook County Board seat representing the 1st District by fewer than 500 votes in the 2018 Democratic primary to now-Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Oak Park resident finished third in 2020’s four-way primary race for Cook County circuit court clerk and lost by more than 50 percentage points in his 2022 primary bid to unseat Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, with whom he clashed as a leader of the push to repeal the county’s short-lived soda tax. “People are losing what they believe is the American Dream. They can’t attain it,” he said. “So I’m running for them.” Jason Friedman, Democrat Jason Friedman, a candidate for retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis’ 7th Congressional District seat, listens during a candidate forum at Malcolm X College, Nov. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Business owner Jason Friedman, who has never held public office, is the former president of Friedman Properties. The company, founded by his father, Albert, is a major Chicago development firm that has built properties in the River North neighborhood, which is part of the 7th Congressional District. Rory Hoskins, Democrat Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, a candidate for retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis' 7th Congressional District seat, speaks during a candidate forum at Malcolm X College, Nov. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) The two-term mayor of Forest Park, Rory Hoskins, leads a near-west suburb that lies entirely within the 7th Congressional District. He was previously a village commissioner. A Texas native, Hoskins was elected as a delegate to the 2020 and 2024 Democratic National Conventions for Joe Biden. He made an unsuccessful bid in 2023 to be appointed to the Cook County Board seat vacated by Brandon Johnson after he was elected mayor of Chicago. “I’m running for Congress because I believe the kind of progress we’ve made in Forest Park — revitalizing our business corridors, improving public safety, and strengthening partnerships across communities — can serve as a model for what’s possible at the national level,” Hoskins said on his campaign website. Anthony Driver, Democrat Anthony Driver speaks during a candidates forum at Collins Academy STEAM High School on Jan. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Union leader and political strategist Anthony Driver, until recently, was president of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the city’s latest attempt at police oversight. He took a step back to become a commissioner on the board after announcing his candidacy. Driver is executive director of the Illinois State Council for the politically powerful Service Employees International Union. A South Side native, Driver entered the race in early August with a message that he is “running for Congress in Illinois because we need more fierce advocates for justice.” In his campaign announcement, he touted his work advocating for the city’s $15-per-hour minimum wage and a new model of civilian oversight for the Chicago Police Department. Thomas Fisher, Democrat Dr. Thomas Fisher outside the University of Chicago Medicine Adult Emergency Room on March 27, 2022. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) An emergency physician at the University of Chicago and an author, Thomas Fisher said he entered the 7th District race to address differences in life expectancy between the wealthiest and poorest parts of the congressional district. Fisher also served as a White House Fellow in the Department of Health and Human Services during President Barack Obama’s administration, working on reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, who’s running for reelection in the suburban 14th Congressional District, has endorsed Fisher. Reed Showalter, Democrat Reed Showalter, a candidate from the 7th Congressional District, speaks during a candidate forum at Collins Academy STEAM High School on Jan. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Antimonopoly attorney Reed Showalter previously worked at the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and as a policy advisor in the White House National Economic Council during President Joe Biden’s administration. Others on the ballot include Democrats David Ehrlich, Anabel Mendoza, Jazmin Robinson, and Felix Tello, as well as Republicans Chad Koppie and Patricia “P Rae” Easley. 8th Congressional District A mostly northwest suburban district that goes north and west of Carpentersville and dips as far east and south as Rosemont, the 8th Congressional District has been represented by U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi since 2017. With Krishnamoorthi running for Senate, here are the candidates looking to succeed him. Kevin Morrison, Democrat Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison speaks during a Cook County Board meeting in Chicago on May 15, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) The first openly LGBTQ+ commissioner elected to the Cook County Board, Commissioner Kevin Morrison, of Mount Prospect, announced in May he’d run to succeed Krishnamoorthi. “I believe in advancing policies that support families, and that everybody deserves a fair shot to get ahead,” he said in his campaign announcement. Morrison has the endorsements of several members of Congress, including Illinois U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley and Eric Sorensen. Yasmeen Bankole, Democrat 8th Congressional District Democratic candidate Yasmeen Bankole responds to a question during a candidate forum at Elgin Community College in Elgin, Nov. 13, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune) A Hanover Park trustee, Yasmeen Bankole worked for Durbin for six years and Krishnamoorthi prior to that, she said in a campaign video. “I’ve seen what’s possible when you put the people of Illinois first every day,” she said. Melissa Bean, Democrat Melissa Bean, a candidate for the 8th Congressional District, responds to a question during a candidate forum at Elgin Community College on Nov. 13, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune) Saying she “can no longer sit on the sidelines,” former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean in September launched a campaign to retake her seat. Bean represented the 8th Congressional District before her narrow defeat to Republican challenger Joe Walsh in 2010. After her time in Congress, Bean worked in leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow. Bean beat a Republican incumbent for the seat in 2004 and served as a member of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition. The district’s boundaries have changed significantly since her tenure. Still, the news release announcing her 2026 campaign declared: “Bean is Back.” Junaid Ahmed 8th Congressional District Democratic candidate Junaid Ahmed responds to a question during a candidate forum at Elgin Community College in Elgin, Nov. 13, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune) Junaid Ahmed, a technology business owner and self-described progressive, ran against Krishnamoorthi two years ago and received 30% of the vote. He had the most cash on hand as of Sept. 30, the end of the most recent fully reported fundraising quarter, and said he does not accept money from corporate political action committees. Ahmed has been endorsed by U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Ro Khanna of California and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. Other Democrats running include Dan Tully, an attorney and Army veteran; small-business CEO Neil Khot; Ryan Vetticad of South Barrington and entrepreneur Sanjyot Dunung. Tully and Khot were among the candidates in the last fundraising quarter who made six-figure loans to their campaigns. Dunung served on President Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy Working Group focused on international trade. On the Republican side, Mark Rice, who has also previously challenged Krishnamoorthi, is running again, along with entrepreneur Jennifer Davis, Herbert Hebein and Kevin Ake. Davis, who co-founded software firm Davisware with her husband, made a $500,000 loan to her campaign on Sept. 30. Ake was convicted of a hate crime in 2002 and previously ran unsuccessfully to unseat Morrison. 9th Congressional District From Graceland Cemetery on Chicago’s North Side and running north to Wilmette and snaking north and west to Crystal Lake, the 9th Congressional District has been represented by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky since 1999. With her retiring, here are the candidates looking to succeed her. Kat Abughazaleh, Democrat Kat Abughazaleh, a candidate in Illinois' 9th Congressional District, carries yard signs into her brand-new campaign office in the Rogers Park neighborhood on May 6, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh, who moved to the Chicago area in 2024, is hoping to use her massive online audience and unconventional brand to earn the 9th Congressional District seat. She’s proven herself to be a competitive fundraiser, shaping her campaign around high-profile opposition to the Trump administration and community events and mutual aid efforts. “People think that this campaign is really online, because that’s what my background is,” she told the Tribune. “But this is about our ground game.” “I know that might sound idealistic, but I don’t care,” she added. Bushra Amiwala, Democrat Bushra Amiwala, a candidate running for the Illinois 9th Congressional District, speaks during a public forum at the Warren Park field house in Chicago, Jan. 15, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Bushra Amiwala, who became one of the first Gen Z public officials in the United States when she was elected in 2019 to the Skokie School District 73.5 board, is now eyeing a seat in Congress. Amiwala sees herself as “a fresh perspective from a familiar face,” she told the Tribune before she officially announced her candidacy. The Skokie native works at Google and graduated from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management with a master’s degree in business administration, according to her campaign. Daniel Biss, Democrat Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss addresses supporters at his election night party at Bluestone restaurant on April 1, 2025, in Evanston. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss earlier this year snagged Schakowsky’s endorsement — potentially the most coveted stamp of approval in the race. Biss previously served for eight years in the General Assembly and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, losing in the Democratic primary to now-Gov. JB Pritzker. “I think people are looking for solutions. I think people are looking for someone who can demonstrate the ability to actually use government to improve people’s lives and create change and break through the cynicism,” Biss, a former assistant professor at the University of Chicago, told the Tribune. He has also been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and the Illinois AFL-CIO. Laura Fine, Democrat State Sen. Laura Fine, of Glenview, in the Illinois Capitol in Springfield on May 8, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine, of Glenview, has represented the area since 2013, the last six years as a state senator. Now, she’s campaigning on her experience battling insurance companies after her husband, Michael, lost one of his arms after being in a car crash in 2010. “I made taking on big insurance my life’s work, and I feel like I didn’t let them ruin my family, and I was not going to let them ruin any others,” she said. Fine has also racked up endorsements from dozens of state and local elected officials. Hoan Huynh, Democrat State Rep. Hoan Huynh of Uptown in Springfield on May 8, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Two-term state Rep. Hoan Huynh, who in Springfield represents a North Side district that includes the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, surprised many observers in 2022 when he emerged victorious from a five-way Democratic primary battle to replace retiring Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris. “I’m running because I believe the people of this district deserve a representative in Congress who understands the challenges working families face and who won’t stop fighting for a future where everyone has a fair shot,” Huynh, who would give up his seat in Springfield in his bid for the U.S. House, wrote in a social media post. Mike Simmons, Democrat State Sen. Mike Simmons arrives before Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his State of the State and budget address in front of the General Assembly at the Illinois Capitol on Feb. 21, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/pool) State Sen. Mike Simmons, a Rogers Park resident and the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate, told the Tribune he’s “running because the communities in the 9th (Congressional) District have raised me, and they’re struggling.” Simmons’ parents were small-business owners and, in the 1980s, were among the first Black families to move into the North Side’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, he said. Now, he says, he’s running to help families who feel priced out of the district. “I symbolize everything that Donald Trump is trying to erase right now, but the point that’s really important is that this is going to be about so much more than Donald Trump. It’s going to be about talking about those (affordability) struggles,” he said. Simmons isn’t up for reelection until 2028, so he could keep the Senate seat if he doesn’t win in the congressional race. Phil Andrew, Democrat Phil Andrew, a candidate in Illinois' 9th Congressional District race, speaks during a public forum at the Warren Park field house in Chicago, Jan. 15, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Former FBI Agent Phil Andrew launched his campaign last year on a message of community security and gun violence prevention. In 1988, he survived being shot following a school shooting in which Laurie Dann held Andrew and his parents hostage. Since leaving the FBI, he has run PAX Group, a security consulting practice. As of last quarter, Andrew was among the top fundraisers in the primary race, though he bolstered his war chest by making a $200,000 loan to his campaign. In January, Andrew was endorsed by Bruce Leon, the long-shot former 9th District candidate and political moderate who said he left the race following pressure from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Economist Jeff Cohen, former federal prosecutor and former Microsoft strategist 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 have also filed paperwork to run, along with Republicans John Elleson, Dongbo Mark Su, Rocio Cleveland and Paul Friedman. Friedman was convicted of a sex crime against a 13-year-old in the 1990s when he was 27, as reported during the campaign by the Daily Herald. In a phone interview, Friedman said the conviction was a misdemeanor and was set aside years ago in Michigan, where it occurred, though he has been unable to get off the national sex offender registry. ...read more read less