Jonathan Jackson IL-01Jonathan Jackson IL-01

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 1 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.  
Upcoming Election:

Jonathan Luther  Jackson is an American  businessman and activist who was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.

Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name

OnAir Post: Jonathan Jackson IL-01

i
Media
Government

Summary

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 1 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.  
Upcoming Election:

Jonathan Luther  Jackson is an American  businessman and activist who was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.

Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name

OnAir Post: Jonathan Jackson IL-01

News

i
Media
Government

About

Source: Government

Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson represents Illinois’ First Congressional District. Born to civil rights leaders Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline Jackson, the fight for underrepresented people runs in Congressman Jackson’s blood. He has long been an advocate for marginalized communities using his platform to fight for equity and civil rights.

Congressman Jackson’s commitment to social justice and equality has been the driving force behind his activism. As the national spokesman for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Congressman Jackson raised awareness about innocence and juvenile justice issues. He was heavily involved in the Chicago Police Department’s false confessions cases, such as those of Darrell Cannon, Oscar Walden, and Johnnie Lee Savory. He played a role in several high-profile human rights and social justice cases, including negotiations with Syrian President Hafez-Al-Assad for the release of captured American Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman and with Fidel Castro for the release of 22 Americans held in Cuba.

Congressman Jackson values public education and fervently supports expanding opportunities to families regardless of income. In Chicago, he fought against the closure of Chicago Public Schools where he led public hearings and provided civic education training to preserve community memory and prevent closures and turnarounds by private companies. His efforts helped Guggenheim Elementary School come off the closure list in 2010 and saved other schools from the same fate.

Congressman Jackson grew up in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. Jackson has launched several telecom, distribution, and construction businesses. He has also taught finance and entrepreneurship at Chicago City Colleges and was a business professor at Chicago State University.

Congressman Jackson now brings his activism to Congress. He is committed to promoting policies that advance equality and justice, improving access to quality education and healthcare, and protecting the environment. He proudly serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is dedicated to working with his colleagues to pass meaningful legislation that will benefit the people of IL-01 and the nation as a whole.

Personal

Full Name: Jonathan L. Jackson

Gender: Male

Birth Place: Chicago, IL

Source: Vote Smart

Education

MBA, Business, Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management, 1989-1991

Bachelor’s, Business, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, 1987-1988

Political Experience

Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 1, 2023-present

Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 1, 2022, 2024

Professional Experience

National Spokesperson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, 2004-present

Professor of Business, Chicago State University, 2013-2015

Professor, City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College, 2011-2013

Investor, River North Sales + Service, 1998-2011

Investment Banker, Drexel Burnham Lambert, 1988-1989

Offices

Washington DC Office
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515-1301Phone: (202) 225-4372
Fax: (202) 226-0333

Chicago District Office
11750 S. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL  60643-4732Phone: (773) 779-2400
Fax: (773) 779-2401

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Election Results

To learn more, go to this wikipedia section in this post.

Finances

Source: Vote Smart

Committees

  1. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
    • The House Committee on Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing and legislating on matters related to international relations, global diplomacy, and U.S. foreign policy. Congressman Jackson’s service on this committee allows him to engage in crucial discussions that shape our nation’s interactions with other countries.
    • Subcommittee on Africa
      • As a member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Congressman Jackson focuses on promoting strong bilateral relationships between the United States and African nations, addressing human rights, and fostering economic development and security in the region.
  2. House Committee on Agriculture
    • The House Committee on Agriculture oversees and legislates on matters related to agriculture, rural development, and the nation’s food supply. Congressman Jackson’s role in this committee demonstrates his commitment to supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
    • Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture
      • In this subcommittee, Congressman Jackson works to ensure that nutritional assistance programs are efficient and effective, as well as advocating for robust agricultural trade and support for the horticulture industry.
    • Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
      • Congressman Jackson’s participation in this subcommittee allows him to address the needs of commodity markets, promote the responsible use of digital assets, and work towards the improvement of rural communities’ economic growth and infrastructure.

In addition to Congressman Jonathan Jackson’s committee assignments, he is also an active member of various caucuses within the United States House of Representatives. These caucuses allow him to collaborate with like-minded colleagues and work together on shared policy objectives that impact the lives of his constituents and the nation as a whole. Here are the caucuses Congressman Jackson is involved with, listed alphabetically:

  1. Black Maternal Mortality Caucus
    • Launched by Congresswomen Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood, this caucus addresses the maternal mortality crisis in the United States and works to address racial disparities in pregnancy-related complications and infant mortality.
  2. Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
    • Established in 1971, the CBC works to empower African Americans and marginalized communities by focusing on reforming the criminal justice system, combatting voter suppression, expanding access to education, healthcare, and technology, and strengthening protections for workers.
  3. Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
    • Established to commemorate the centennial of the Equal Rights Amendment, the ERA Caucus focuses on establishing constitutional gender equality as a national priority and partnering with a diverse coalition of advocates, activists, scholars, organizers, and public figures.
  4. Congressional Heartland Caucus
    • Launched by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, the Congressional Heartland Caucus represents the views, values, and issues of the American Heartland, including manufacturing, labor, agriculture, racial equity, rural healthcare, trade, broadband, and infrastructure.
  5. Congressional Labor Caucus
    • The Congressional Labor Caucus is committed to advancing policies that support workers and their families, promoting good jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting economic opportunity.
  6. Congressional Progressive Caucus
    • Comprising over 100 members of Congress, the Congressional Progressive Caucus champions progressive policy solutions such as comprehensive immigration reform, fair trade, universal healthcare, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy.
  7. Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)
    • With over 80 members, the SEEC is dedicated to advancing policies promoting clean energy, addressing climate change, and protecting the environment.

New Legislation

Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congressman Jackson.

Issues

Source: Government page

More Information

Wikipedia

Source: Government page

District

Source: Wikipedia

Illinois’s first congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.

From 2003 to early 2013 it extended into the city’s southwest suburbs until reaching the border of Will County, and covered 97.84 square miles (253.4 km2), making it one of the 40 smallest districts in the U.S. (although there are four smaller districts in Illinois). The district had a population that was 65% African American, the highest percentage of any congressional district in the nation, but with redistricting that percentage has now declined to 52%. It includes the home of former President Barack Obama.

The 1st is a majority-minority district, and has been since at least the 1920s. In 1929, it became the first district in the 20th century to send an African American to Congress when Republican Oscar Stanton De Priest was elected to represent the district. The 1st has been represented by an African American Member of Congress ever since, the longest ongoing stretch of black representation for any seat in the House of Representatives. It has been held by a Democrat since 1935 when Arthur Mitchell, the first African American Democrat elected to Congress, took the seat as part of the New Deal Coalition. In 1949, district representative William Dawson became the first African American to chair a congressional committee. Since redistricting by the state legislature after the 2010 census, it is 51.3% black, 40.6% white, and 9.8% Hispanic in population.

The district is currently represented by Jonathan Jackson who was elected to succeed longtime incumbent Bobby Rush in 2022.[3]

Wikipedia

Jonathan Luther Jackson (born January 7, 1966) is an American politician, businessman, and activist serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 1st congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.

Early life and education

Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name. Jackson has five siblings, Santita Jackson and former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., his elders, and Yusef, Jacqueline Jackson, and Ashley, his younger siblings.[1]

Jackson attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, where he was a student-athlete. He attended his parents’ alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, to study business where he obtained his bachelors degree.[2][3] He is also an MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.[4]

Civil and human rights activism

Jonathan Jackson outside Jon Burge indictment
The Jacksons visit Gandhi’s grave.

Born into a family steeped in human rights activism, Jackson has traveled the world as an aide de camp to his father.[5] He traveled to Syria in 1983, when his father negotiated with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to release captured American pilot Robert Goodman.[6] He met Fidel Castro in 1984, when his father negotiated the release of 22 Americans being held in Cuba.[7] He was also with his father in August 2005, when he traveled to Venezuela to meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.[8] This followed controversial remarks by televangelist Pat Robertson implying that Chávez should be assassinated. Jackson condemned Robertson’s remarks as immoral.[8]

In 2007, Jonathan Jackson took on the issues of innocence and juvenile justice as national spokesman for the RainbowPUSH Coalition.[9] He has highlighted the personal stories and continued trials of those who accused the Chicago Police Department of torturing them to obtain confessions that landed them in prison. They include Darrell Cannon,[10] who faced the death penalty for a 1983 drug-related murder. Cannon was released after accepting a January 2001 deal to abandon his torture claim in exchange for being released, according to the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions. Jackson has also showcased the travails of Oscar Walden, who in 1952 became Illinois’s first exoneree. Walden was freed after being sentenced to 75 years for a rape he did not commit.[11]

Jackson has championed the cause of Johnnie Lee Savory,[12] a Peoria native convicted of stabbing to death his friends Connie Cooper and James Robinson in their Peoria home in 1977. After serving over 28 years in prison, Savory was released on parole on December 19, 2006. Jackson is among several notables who have petitioned the Illinois governor—first Rod Blagojevich, then Pat Quinn—to order DNA testing in Savory’s case to prove not only that did Savory not kill his friends, but also to pinpoint the person widely suspected of committing the crime.[13]

In 2008, Jackson turned his attention to the closures of Chicago Public Schools.[14] He has led several schools to public hearings and civic education training to thwart school closures and turnarounds by private companies in favor of investing in existing schools and keeping a community’s institutional memory intact—especially in highly mobile neighborhoods where large numbers of students are homeless or living on the economic margins.[15] In February 2010, he succeeded in helping Guggenheim Elementary School get off the closure list.[16] Guggenheim is in the Englewood community on the city’s South Side. Jackson, among others, made the case that forcing students to walk any further to school put them in harm’s way. They also made the case that Guggenheim’s test scores have steadily improved and it had a close-knit community with the momentum to achieve further gains. Previously, Jackson had persuaded school officials to abandon plans to close Holmes Elementary School, among others.[14]

Jackson’s view of outsourcing public education mirrors that of an emerging vocal group of educators like New York University’s Diane Ravitch[17] and activists who assert that over-reliance on test scores and privatizing of public schools through wholesale charters and outsourcing allows schools to cherry-pick their student bodies while siphoning resources from the most marginalized children. They consider programs like No Child Left Behind and charter schools as a divestment of public education.[18]

Professional career

Jonathan Jackson, far right, API forum panelist, aired by WVON
Jonathan Jackson, left in orange, during a cookout at his Cricket Wireless store on 55th St., Chicago

Jackson started his career in 1988 at Drexel Burnham Lambert as an investment analyst for Michael Milken, an American financier and philanthropist, noted for his role in developing a market for high-yield bonds known as junk bonds. Jackson later worked as an analyst at Independence Bank, was a Shatkin Arbor runner at the Chicago Board of Trade, and developed real estate for East Lake Management in Chicago. He rejoined Milken at Knowledge Universe in the late 1990s and engages in investments in the wireless, real estate and distribution sectors.[4]

In 1998, Jackson, with his brother Yusef, became owner of a Chicago-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. distributorship – River North Sales and Service, LLC.[19] The deal was met with charges of skepticism and nepotism because Jackson’s father had previously organized a boycott of the brewery’s products in the early 1980s. The elder Jackson wanted the brewery to do more business in the African-American community.[20]

In 2009, Jackson lead a group of minority investors in a $250 million bid to take over ION Media Networks, the country’s largest chain of independent TV stations.[21] Partnered with Cyrus Capital Partners, a New York investment firm, Jackson argued that second-lien lenders are treated as second-class citizens.[22]

He has taught finance and entrepreneurship at City Colleges of Chicago[23] and is a business professor at Chicago State University.

On August 8, 2012, New York Post writer Tara Palmeri reported that an unnamed source close to the Jackson family claimed Jonathan Jackson was being primed to take his brother’s place in Congress. In a follow-up to reports about Jesse Jackson Jr.’s treatment at the Mayo Clinic for depression and gastrointestinal disorders, the Post said Jesse Jackson Sr. was “laying the groundwork” for Jonathan to run in the November election if Jesse Jr. “is not up to running for reelection.” The elder Jackson, according to the Post, has denied laying the table for Jonathan. In addition to teaching a full load at Chicago State, at the time Jonathan was a businessman focused on building his Cricket Wireless franchise operation.[24]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

In February 2022, Jackson announced his candidacy to represent Illinois’s 1st congressional district after the incumbent, Bobby Rush, announced his retirement a month earlier.[25] Campaigning as a progressive, he was endorsed by Bernie Sanders and other figures in the progressive wing of his party. He won a crowded Democratic primary with approximately 30% of the vote, and later easily the general election as expected in this heavily Democratic seat.[26]

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[27]

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

2022

Illinois 1st Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2022[30]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJonathan Jackson 21,607 28.2
DemocraticPat Dowell14,59419.0
DemocraticKarin Norington-Reaves10,82514.1
DemocraticJacqueline Collins9,29912.1
DemocraticChris Butler4,1415.4
DemocraticJahmal Cole4,0455.3
DemocraticJonathan Swain2,5543.3
DemocraticMichael Thompson1,6802.2
DemocraticCharise A. Williams1,6012.1
DemocraticCassandra Goodrum1,4221.9
DemocraticMarcus Lewis9011.2
DemocraticRobert Palmer8991.2
DemocraticNykea Pippion McGriff8921.2
DemocraticTerre Layng Rosner7801.0
DemocraticAmeena Matthews6860.9
DemocraticKirby Birgans5110.7
DemocraticSteven DeJoie2510.3
Total votes76,688 100.0
Illinois 1st Congressional District General Election, 2022[31]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJonathan Jackson 159,142 67.0
RepublicanEric Carlson78,25833.0
Write-in250.0
Total votes237,425 100.0

Personal life

Jackson married Marilyn Ann Richards of Brooklyn in 1995. Their children include Jonathan T. Jackson, Leah Jackson, and Noah Jackson.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ MORGANTHAU, TOM; SYLVESTER MONROE (November 14, 1983). “What Makes Jesse Run”. Newsweek. p. 50.
  2. ^ White, John (December 25, 2005). “Jonathan Jackson Weds Marilyn Ann Richards in Elaborate Ceremony”. Jet magazine. p. 59.
  3. ^ “JESSE JACKSON’S 40 YEARS OF SERVICE”. Jet magazine. November 20, 2006. p. 38.
  4. ^ a b “Son of Jesse Jackson resigned…” Orlando Sentinel. June 1, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  5. ^ Business Day, Business Day (October 25, 2005). “South Africa; Jesse Jackson Gives Backing to SA’s Aids Plans”. Africa News. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ “Reconnaissance Flights Will Continues”. United Press International. January 10, 1984.
  7. ^ Davis, Lanny (August 11, 2008). “Jesse Jackson’s Post Racial Legacy”. The Washington Times. pp. A04.
  8. ^ a b Pace, Gina (August 29, 2005). “Venezuela Wants Pat Robertson May Ask U.S. To Extradite Him; Jesse Jackson Visiting Caracas”. CBS News. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  9. ^ Jon Burge Press Conference, retrieved May 17, 2022
  10. ^ Jon Burge Press Conference Oct 21, 2008, retrieved May 17, 2022
  11. ^ “All Illinois Exonerations – Center on Wrongful Convictions”. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  12. ^ Douglas, Deborah (November 14, 2008). “Memo to gov: Why no justice for innocent?”. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 29. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  13. ^ “Johnnie Lee Savory, Center on Wrongful Convictions”. law.northwestern.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  14. ^ a b “Chicago Public Schools : CPS withdraws proposals for six schools”. cps.edu. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  15. ^ “Stark contrasts between 2008 and 2009 Board meetings on schools closings, turnarounds, phase outs, etc. – Substance News”. substancenews.net. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  16. ^ “Parents Concerned By Dangerous Walk To New School” February 10, 2010, 10:34 pm. Central, CBS Channel 2,“Parents Concerned by Dangerous Walk to New CPS School Through Englewood After Guggenheim Closes – cbs2chicago.com”. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  17. ^ “Ravitch Offers Passionate Defense of America’s Public School System – March 2, 2010 – The New York Sun”. nysun.com. March 2, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  18. ^ Ravitch, Diane (April 2, 2010). “A new agenda for school reform”. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  19. ^ Staff reports, Johnson Publishing Co., “Yusef Jackson’s Ownership Group Purchases Anheuser-Busch Chicago Distributorship”. Jet magazine 14 December 1998
  20. ^ Flahery, Peter (March 18, 2001). “Jesse came to do good and did well”. The Baltimore Sun.
  21. ^ “Deborah Douglas: Turning Down $250 Million Is Not a Smart Move for ION or Minority TV Audiences”. HuffPost. December 8, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  22. ^ “Cyrus Capital Extends Offer for ION Networks”. TradingMarkets.com. November 16, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ “KennedyKing College one of the City Colleges of Chicago”. kennedyking.ccc.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  24. ^ “Jesse Jackson Jr. Update: Congressman ‘Responding’ To Therapy, Father Reports”. HuffPost. August 8, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  25. ^ Sweet, Lynn (February 7, 2022). “Jonathan Jackson, the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson, kicks off Congress bid in crowded Democratic primary”. Chicago Sun Times.
  26. ^ “Jonathan Jackson keeps 1st congressional seat in Democratic hands following US Rep. Bobby Rush’s retirement”. Chicago Tribune. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  27. ^ “Jonathan L. Jackson”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  28. ^ “Progressive Caucus”. Progressive Caucus. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  29. ^ “Committees and Caucuses”. Congressman Jonathan Jackson. January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  30. ^ “Election Results 2022 GENERAL PRIMARY”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  31. ^ “2022 General Election Results”. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  32. ^ White, John (December 25, 1995). “Jonathan Jackson weds Marilyn Ann Richards in elaborate ceremony”. Jet magazine. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois’s 1st congressional district

2023–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

United States representatives by seniority
390th
Succeeded by


X

Jonathan Jackson IL-01

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 1 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.  
Upcoming Election:

Jonathan Luther  Jackson is an American  businessman and activist who was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.

Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name

OnAir Post: Jonathan Jackson IL-01

Robin Kelly IL-02

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 2 since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Other Positions: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
District: Based in the south suburbs of Chicago, the district includes southern Cook county, eastern Will county, and Kankakee county, as well as the city of Chicago’s far southeast side.  
Upcoming Election:

Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as chief of staff for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias until 2010. Kelly earned her Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University in 2004.

Featured Quote: 
Nearly 37 million Medicare beneficiaries can’t access affordable dental care, putting them at risk for preventable health issues. @RepHorsford & I introduced the Medicare Dental Coverage Act to add dental coverage to Medicare & help keep people healthy.

Featured Video: 
Rep. Robin Kelly On Sondland, Ukraine, Impeachment | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC

OnAir Post: Robin Kelly IL-02

Delia Ramirez IL-03

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 3 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position:  Illinois House of Representatives for the 4th district from 2018 to 2023.
District:  western and southwestern suburbs of Chicago as far as the DuPage County border, as well as portions of the Southwest Side of the city of Chicago itself,    
Upcoming Election:

Delia Ramirez served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 4th district from 2018 to 2023. She was the first Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Before entering elected office, Ramirez worked and held leadership roles in social service agencies, nonprofit advocacy organizations, and local community organizations.

OnAir Post: Delia Ramirez IL-03

Jesús “Chuy” García IL-04

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 4 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: Cook County Board of Commissioners from 2011 – 2018; State Senator from 1993 – 1999; Chicago City Council from 1986 – 1993
Other Positions:  House Committee on Natural Resources
District:    east–west across the city of Chicago, on the west side continuing into smaller portions of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois’s 7th congressional district.
Upcoming Election

Featured Quote: 
I joined organizations and progressive colleagues in DC to uplift your voices and say ‘We can’t wait and we won’t wait!’ An infrastructure deal without climate, citizenship, healthcare, and good jobs is NO DEAL! We need bold solutions – the millions counting on us cannot wait!

García was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1986. During his time on the city council, he was known for being a staunch ally of Mayor Harold Washington.[3] In 1992, he became the first Mexican-American member of the Illinois State Senate.

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García Exposes Big Banks for Exploiting Puerto Rico

OnAir Post: Jesús “Chuy” García IL-04

Mike Quigley IL-05

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 5 since 2009
Affiliation: Democrat
District: parts of Cook and Lake counties. All or parts of Chicago, Inverness, Arlington Heights, Barrington Hills, Des Plaines, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Deer Park, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, and North Barrington are included.  
Upcoming Election:

Featured Quote: 
Equal access to abortion care—everywhere—is essential to social and economic participation, reproductive autonomy and the right for women to determine their own lives. That’s why I’m voting for #WHPA on the House floor today. Sept. 24, 2021

Quigley is a former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he represented Chicago’s northside neighborhoods of Lakeview, Uptown, and Rogers Park. He previously taught environmental policy and Chicago politics as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago.

Congressman Mike Quigley discusses partisan clash over infrastructure bill
July 4, 2021

OnAir Post: Mike Quigley IL-05

Sean Casten IL-06

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 6 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Renewable Energy Consultant from 1999 – 2019
District:  arts of Cook and DuPage counties   
Upcoming Election:

Featured Quote: 
You know the guy in your office who always misses deadlines and does shoddy work but when you press him he tells you how many hours he’s put in and wants to talk to you about how important it is he sticks to his process? That’s the US Senate.

Casten began his career working at consultancy Arthur D. Little, where he did fuel chain analyses for the company’s chemical engineering group. From 2000 to 2007, he served as the president and CEO of Turbosteam Corporation, which converted emissions from power plants into energy. Casten was a founding chairman of the Northeast CHP Initiative.He participated in crafting the bill that became the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program in the northeast United States that attempts to use market forces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

US Rep Sean Casten joins WGN News at 5 to discuss Robinhood hearing

OnAir Post: Sean Casten IL-06

Danny K. Davis IL-07

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 7 since 1997
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1990 – 1997; Member of the Chicago City Council from 1979 – 1990
Other Positions:  Regional Whip, House of Representatives
District:  parts of Cook County. All or parts of Broadview, Bellwood, Chicago, Forest Park, Hillside, Oak Park, La Grange Park, Maywood, and Westchester   
Upcoming Election:

Featured Quote: 
Given the VAST amount of information pubically available on the extensive damage from the Jan 6th events – I can’t tell if you are trolling or pitifully trolling.

Davis worked as a government clerk, a high school teacher, executive director of the Greater Lawndale Conservation Commission, director of training at the Martin L. King Neighborhood Health Center, and executive director of the Westside Health Center before entering politics. He represented Chicago’s 29th Ward on the Chicago City Council from 1979 to 1990

Congressman Danny Davis discusses no-knock warrant reform

OnAir Post: Danny K. Davis IL-07

Raja Krishnamoorthi IL-08

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 8 since 2017
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Lawyer and Tech entrepreneur from 1988 – 2017
Other Positions: Co-Founder, Middle Class Jobs Caucus
Co-chair, Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Krishnamoorthi is the first ever Indian-American or person of South Asian descent to serve as Ranking Member or Chair of any full committee in the U.S. Congress. He also serves as an assistant whip. During law school, Krishnamoorthi was managing editor of the Harvard Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review, and published a law review article on the implementation of Local School Councils in Chicago public elementary schools.

Featured Quote: 
“I am honoured to be appointed as a co-chair of the CAPAC Immigration Task Force alongside co-chair Representative Pramila Jayapal as we continue to fight to ensure our immigration system reflects American values.”

Congressman Krishnamoorthi On Letter To Provide Vaccines Worldwide To Fight COVID Variants

OnAir Post: Raja Krishnamoorthi IL-08

Jan Schakowsky IL-09

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 9 since 1999
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Program Director for PIRGs from 1976 – 1990
Other Positions: Senior Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives,
House Energy & Commerce Committee, Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee
District: anchored in Chicago’s North Side, along Lake Michigan, and covers many of Chicago’s northern suburbs. 
Upcoming Election:

Schakowsky was Program Director of Illinois Public Action, Illinois’s largest public interest group, from 1976 to 1985. She then moved to the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens as executive director until 1990, when she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the fourth district.

Featured Quote: 
Starting today, #ChildTaxCredit payments will begin hitting bank accounts and mailboxes of millions of American families. With the American Rescue Plan, we’re delivering one of the most significant reductions in child poverty ever. Learn more
 
Jan’s Plans & Pans – July 23, 2021

OnAir Post: Jan Schakowsky IL-09

Brad Schneider IL-10

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 10 since 2017
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Financial consultant from 1988 – 2017
District: northeast corner of the state and mostly comprises northern suburbs of Chicago.    
Upcoming Election:

Schneider worked as the managing principal of the life insurance firm Davis Dann Adler Schneider, LLC, from 1997 until 2003, when he became the director of the strategic services group at Blackman Kallick. In 2008, he started his own consulting company, Cadence Consulting Group.

Featured Quote:  

@AlinejadMasih is an Iranian immigrant, an American citizen and champion of human and civil rights. The Iranian regime fears her message. I was honored that she shared with me the stories of countless Iranians risking their lives for freedom. She speaks because they cannot.

Brad Schneider: ‘Our Future’

OnAir Post: Brad Schneider IL-10

Bill Foster IL-11

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 11 since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Other Positions:Committee on Financial Services, Task Force on Artificial Intelligence,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
District: Northern Illinois region, encompassing most of McHenry and Kane Counties, parts of Boone, Lake, DeKalb, DuPage, Cook, and Will Counties.  
Upcoming Election:

George William Foster is a physicist. After completing his Ph.D., Foster moved to the Fox Valley with his family to pursue a career in high-energy (particle) physics at Fermilab, a Department of Energy National Laboratory. Foster was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society. He was a member of the team that received the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize for cosmic ray physics for the discovery of the neutrino burst from the supernova SN 1987A.

Featured Quote: 
Getting vaccinated is not a partisan act, it’s a patriotic one. I’m proud to join @RepMMM
for a bipartisan call to all Americans: protect yourselves and your loved ones & get vaccinated.

Forum with Congressman/Physicist Bill Foster

OnAir Post: Bill Foster IL-11

Nikki Budzinski IL-13

Current Position:  US Representative for District 13 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District:    Champaign, Urbana, most of Decatur and Springfield, and most of the Metro East of St. Louis
Upcoming Election:

Nikki Budzinski (born 1976/1977) is an American politician and labor union leader. In 2021, Budzinski served as the Chief of Staff to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Biden administration.

She is currently the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 13th congressional district.

OnAir Post: Nikki Budzinski IL-13

Lauren Underwood IL-14

Current Position: US Representative of IL District 14 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Other Positions: Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation
District:  northern Illinois, surrounding the outer northern and western suburbs of Chicago. 
Upcoming Election:

She graduated with a degree in nursing from the University of Michigan and two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She began her career as a policy professional in the Obama administration in 2014, later working as a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Featured Quote: 
The American Families Plan is historic. We can make sure kids in our communities have access to more education — starting with pre-K all the way up to community college!

Lauren on Morning Joe | Momnibus 2021

OnAir Post: Lauren Underwood IL-14

Eric Sorensen IL-17

Current Position: US House of Representatives for District 17 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: Meteorologist and Communications Manager
District:  Includes most of the northwestern portion of the state, with most of its population living on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, as well as parts of Peoria and Rockford 
Upcoming Election:

He studied communications and meteorology at Northern Illinois University. Sorensen began his career as a meteorologist. He worked as chief meteorologist for WREX, Rockford’s NBC affiliate, from 2003 to 2014, before becoming the senior meteorologist for WQAD, the ABC affiliate of Moline, Illinois. Sorensen became a fellow of the Society for Environmental Journalists in 2018.

OnAir Post: Eric Sorensen IL-17

Skip to toolbar