After 25 years, Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced on May 5 her retirement as the voice of Illinois District Nine in Congress. The district comprises Skokie, Evanston, Glenview, and parts of other areas.
Schakowsky’s decision leaves open a House seat which has already attracted several bidders—and according to AP Government and Politics teacher Kristy Pommerenke-Schneider, others may yet join the fray. “We’re right now in May, so primary season is next spring,” Pommerenke-Schneider said. “So I think there is plenty of time for those people who want to become the next statesperson to represent our district…to do some investigation, throw their hat in the ring, and see if their ideas resonate with voters.”
As candidacy announcements continue to populate, North Star News has tallied the current candidates for the benefit of the District Nine community. Readers should note that this is not a final list of individuals competing for Schakowsky’s seat.
Previously a researcher at left-wing media monitor Media Matters for America, as well as a social media figure, Abughazaleh was the first to declare her candidacy—doing so on March 24, before Schakowsky officially retired. (North Star News ran a story on Abughazaleh shortly after she announced her run.) She has proposed a 2% tax on wealth of $100 million or more and expansions of Social Security and Veterans’ Affairs benefits, while also calling for an unending Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the enforcement of “Leahy Laws” governing where the US provides national security assistance. Abughazaleh established a campaign office in Rogers Park on May 6.
Ford, who announced his campaign May 1, aided in forming a graduate student union at the University of Illinois Chicago, and subsequently served as the grievance chair on the union’s first grievance committee. In 2009, he started a career in Environmental Health and Safety, and after roughly eight years in Chicago, he moved with his family to Iowa, and later to California, before returning to Chicago in 2023 for his younger son’s education.
Ford’s main proposal is the institution of a four-day work (and school) week. He described this plan as “one more day to volunteer, one more day to work on things”—adding, “you’re gonna be more productive, because you’re rested, plus one less day of commuting,” while noting benefits for the environment and for infrastructure.
Fine was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018, and thereafter was elected to the Illinois Senate, where she remains. In a press release regarding the launching of her campaign, Fine spoke of having experience creating policy “that puts people over special interests.” The state Senator’s campaign website touts her work securing abortion abilities, boosting Illinois consumer protection laws, and banning styrofoam in this state, among other initiatives. The website lists similar work in the realms of abortion access and environmental protection as “top priorities” for Fine, alongside otherwise aiding purchasers, resisting reductions in Social Security or Medicare payments, and securing “common sense” gun restrictions. Multiple outlets have taken note of Jewish Insider’s coverage of Fine’s campaign, which explored the state senator’s self-declared support for Israel, as well as her efforts regarding “‘fighting antisemitism in Illinois.’”
A Republican, Cohen originally ran against Schakowsky for her seat in the 2024 primaries, saying after losing that campaign that he would run again in 2026. Before politics, Cohen was a radio operator in the US Marine Corps, and was thereafter a student at the University of Chicago, from which he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2024. Two years before his graduation, Cohen helped create the nonprofit The Brigade, which works in Chicago and New York City to provide chances to network and improve as professionals for college students who are veterans.
In a questionnaire from the Chicago Sun-Times, Cohen called for Chicago to cease its activity as a sanctuary city, and for tightening border security while facilitating immigration to the US for those who could aid this country’s economy. Cohen also encouraged the federal government to remove “unnecessary regulations” and cease deficit spending in order to lower inflation (alongside making the tax code less complex), and named onerous rates of taxation by all levels of government as the greatest problem facing the Ninth District. In a separate questionnaire from WTTW, Cohen voiced support for providing financial and supplies-related assistance to both Ukraine and Israel.
No matter who becomes involved in the race, Pommerenke-Schneider hopes that simply having a primary will motivate District Nine residents to vote. “I think that if we could get a few credible candidates that have passion and good policies, then the voters of District Nine are going to feel like, ‘Hey, we do have some choice. And so now I want to have my opinion counted, my vote and voice counted.’”
A note to readers: This story was updated on May 19, 2025, to add a link to the Creative Commons license for the photo of Laura Fine used here. This link is required by the image’s license, and was mistakenly not added when this article was first published. The author of this article apologizes for the error.
