17 incumbent Illinois U.S. representatives are vying for reelection. Here's who's running.
CHICAGO (CBS) – Few races for seats in Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to be competitive this Election Day, but lawmakers have been out campaigning just the same.
Illinois has 17 congressional districts, of which all but four include at least part of the greater Chicago area. All 17 have incumbents running to keep their seats.
District 1
Illinois' 1st Congressional District stretches from the South Loop down through much of the city's South Side – including Bronzeville, Washington Park, parts of Hyde Park, Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Avalon Park, Morgan Park, and West Pullman. It continues southwest through many south suburbs, as well as parts of Will and Kankakee counties including Wilmington and Bourbonnais.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, is seeking a second term in office. He won the seat in 2022 following the retirement of veteran U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush.
Jackson is facing a challenge from Republican Marcus Lewis, who has not held elected office before.
District 2
The 2nd Congressional District also includes much of the South Side – along the lakefront from Kenwood and parts of Hyde Park south through South Shore, South Chicago, and the Southeast Side. Many south suburban communities also fall into the district, along with downstate Iroquois, Livingston, Ford, and Vermilion counties – including Danville. Part of Champaign County is also in the district.
Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly is seeking a seventh term in office. She won a special election in 2013 to replace Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. after Jackson resigned in disgrace. Last year, Kelly made headlines for introducing the CARE for Moms Act in a bid to reduce maternal mortality rates.
Kelly is facing a challenge from Republican Ashley Ramos, an e-commerce specialist and founder of the pro-police nonprofit Back the Blue. Independent Mike Vick, endorsed by the Solidarity Party, is running as a write-in.
District 3
The 3rd Congressional District includes parts of Chicago's West and Northwest sides – such as Albany Park, Logan Square, Hermosa, and Belmont Cragin – as well as several northwest and western suburbs, stretching as far west as West Chicago, Wayne, and Bartlett.
After the 2020 Census, the 3rd Congressional District in Illinois was redrawn to capitalize on Chicago's growing Hispanic population, giving the district a voting population that is nearly 44% Latino.
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez is seeking a second term. The former Illinois state representative won the open seat in 2022.
Republican John Booras, a former Burr Ridge police officer, is challenging Ramirez. Independent Angel Oakley is running as a write-in.
District 4
Illinois' 4th Congressional District includes much of the Southwest Side – stretching from Pilsen, McKinley Park, Bridgeport and Back of the Yards on the east to Midway International Airport on the west. The district also includes several west suburban communities – among them Cicero, Berwyn, Riverside, Brookfield, Hinsdale, parts of Elmhurst, Melrose Park, Northlake, and Franklin Park.
Incumbent Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, a Democrat, is seeking a fourth term, having beaten back a primary challenge from Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) in March. Garcia said earlier this year that there was "unfinished business" left for Congress to tackle, including making items like groceries, gas, and healthcare more affordable.
Republican Lupe Castillo and Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey are on the ballot against Garcia. Independent Alicia Martinez is running as a write-in.
District 5
The 5th Congressional District stretches along the North and Northwest sides to include Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, and Arcadia Terrace, and then swings west to include Jefferson Park, Forest Glen, and Norwood Park. The district then extends northwest through the suburbs to include Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Inverness, Lake Zurich, Barrington, and Barrington Hills.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley is campaigning for a ninth term in office. The former commissioner on the Cook County Board was elected to office when Rep. Rahm Emanuel took over to become President Barack Obama's chief of staff.
Republican Tommy Hanson, a commercial real estate broker, is challenging Quigley. Frank Rowder, who lost the Republican primary to Hanson, is running as a write-in.
District 6
The 6th Congressional District is a suburban district, stretching from Elmhurst, Lombard, and Villa Park on the north and west down through Downers Grove and Westmont, and including Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Alsip, and Evergreen Park on the south and southeast.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, a Democrat, is seeking a fourth term. A scientist by background, Casten has made clean energy a major focus in his time in office.
Republican Niki Conforti is challenging Casten. Independent Peter Meyer Jr. is running as a write-in.
District 7
The 7th Congressional District includes the Loop, River North, Streeterville, and the West Loop, and stretches west to include East and West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, and Austin on the West Side, and Chinatown, Armour Square, Fuller Park, parts of Bronzeville, and parts of Englewood and West Englewood on the South Side. West suburban Oak Park, Forest Park, Maywood, Broadview, Bellwood, Hillside, and Westchester are also part of the district.
Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat, easily beat back a primary challenge by two candidates in his bid for a 15th term. Davis previously served two four-year terms on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and before that, 11 years in the Chicago Coty Council as 29th Ward alderman from 1979 until 1990.
Republican Chad Koppie, who was the Constitution Party nominee for U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2016, is challenging Davis. Independents Lien Choi and Lowell Seida are write-ins.
District 8
The 8th Congressional District extends west from O'Hare International Airport and Des Plaines through Itasca, Schaumburg, Roselle, Bloomingdale, Streamwood, Carpentersville, Elgin, and parts of Geneva.
Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi is vying for a fifth term in office. In his most recent term, Krishnamoorthi has focused on everything from the fentanyl crisis to the expansion of electric vehicles.
Republican Mark Rice, the founder and chief executive officer of an energy business, is challenging Krishnamoorthi.
District 9
The 9th Congressional District includes Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, and West Ridge in Chicago, as well as Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Morton Grove, Wilmette, Glenview, and other north suburban communities, the district snakes northwest to include parts of Prospect Heights and Buffalo Grove, then west all the way to Cary, Fox River Grove, and Lake in the Hills.
Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky is seeking a 14th term in office. Schakowsky previously served in on the Illinois General Assembly, and has been known as a champion on women's and reproductive issues – she was arrested at an abortion rights protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in July 2022.
Republican Seth Alan Cohen, a nonprofit director, is challenging Schakowsky.
District 10
The 10th Congressional District stretches from Winnetka, Northbrook, Glencoe, and Highland Park north to the Wisconsin state line. It also includes Waukegan, Zion, Libertyville, Grayslake, Fox Lake, Spring Grove, Wonder Lake, and Richmond, among other communities.
Democratic incumbent Rep. Brad Schneider is seeking a sixth term – he has served since 2013, except for one term in which he lost to Republican Bob Dold. Schneider made headlines this month for introducing legislation that would extend the clean fuel production credit.
Local business leader Jim Carris is on the ballot against Schneider on the Republican side. Independent Joseph Severino is a write-in.
District 11
The 11th Congressional District stretches west from McHenry and Woodstock through Marengo to Belvidere, then south through Elburn, Campton Hills, Geneva, Batavia, and Aurora, and finally back east through Naperville, Woodridge, Bolingbrook, and Lemont.
Democratic incumbent Rep. Bill Foster is seeking an eighth term in Congress. Foster is a trained physicist who's spent 14 of the last 16 years as a member of the House of Representatives.
Foster is facing a challenge from small business owner Jerry Evans on the Republican side. Independent Anna Schiefelbein is a write-in.
District 12
The 12th Congressional District is a downstate district that includes much of Southern Illinois. Carbondale, Marion, Mount Vernon, Centralia, and Effingham are among the communities in the district.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Bost is seeking a sixth term. He beat back a primary challenge from former state senator and 2022 Republican Illinois gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey.
Bailey had sought out the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, but Trump went with Bost.
Democrat Brian Roberts, an attorney from Carbondale, is challenging Bost.
District 13
The 13th Congressional District is also a downstate district that snakes east and south to include Champaign, Springfield, Carlinville, much of Decatur, and the Metro East St. Louis suburbs. Democratic incumbent Rep. Nikki Budzinski was elected to the seat two years ago and is seeking a second term.
Budzinski faces a challenge from Republican Joshua Lloyd. Independent Bradley Horges Jr. is running as a write-in.
District 14
The 14th Congressional District includes some west and southwest Chicago suburban areas – among them Joliet, Lockport, Elwood, Oswego, Yorkville, and Sugar Grove. The district extends westward into rural areas far west of Chicago – it also includes DeKalb, Sycamore, Ottawa, Peru, and LaSalle.
Democratic incumbent Lauren Underwood is seeking a fourth term. She was elected to Congress in 2018, defeating four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, in a district that at the time was 86% white and widely seen as a Republican stronghold.
Underwood faces a challenge from Republican Jim Marter, an Oswego software consultant who also challenged Mark Kirk in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2016.
District 15
The 15th Congressional District is a downstate district that covers a vast amount of land area in Central and Southern Illinois – including Quincy, Jacksonville, and part of Decatur.
Republican incumbent Rep. Mary Miller is seeking a third term in the seat, and is running unopposed.
District 16
The 16th Congressional District stretches from Harvard in McHenry County west to Galena, and then south through Mount Morris, Dixon, Geneseo, Chillicothe, Streator, Morris, El Paso, and other Northern and Central Illinois communities.
Republican incumbent Rep. Darin LaHood is seeking a sixth term and is running unopposed.
District 17
The 17th Congressional District snakes around to include Rockford, the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal. Democratic incumbent Rep. Eric Sorensen is vying for a second term, and is facing a challenge for which the winner could help tilt the balance of power in Congress.
Sorensen, a former TV meteorologist, is facing a challenge on the Republican side from retired Judge Joe McGraw.
