Biss and Elleson Face Off in Open Illinois 9th District Race
The contest to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky pits a former mayor against a local pastor in a seat held by Democrats since the 1940s.
By Amanda Delgado ·
Illinois voters will select a new representative for the 9th Congressional District on November 3, ending a 27-year tenure for retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky. The district has been represented by Democrats since World War II, with only one brief exception in its 76-year history.
Democratic nominee Daniel Biss, 49, enters the race as the favorite to retain the seat. A former University of Chicago mathematics professor, Biss has previously served in the Illinois House, the Illinois Senate, and as the mayor of Evanston. He stated that his primary focus if elected would be reversing recent reductions in health care funding.
Biss noted that legislative changes take effect immediately after the election. "If I'm lucky enough to win, I'll take the oath of office three days into those cuts. People are gonna be hurting already on day one. We're gonna have to move fast," Biss said. He characterized the current political environment as one of high corruption and rising costs for everyday consumers.
Republican nominee John Elleson, a pastor in Arlington Heights, is challenging the long-standing Democratic hold. Elleson founded Lakewood Chapel, a nondenominational Christian church, more than 20 years ago and leads a congregation of nearly 800 members. He said he does not campaign at his church to keep politics out of Sunday services.
Elleson described his platform as focusing on crime prevention, limiting the size of government, and managing the national debt. He acknowledged that his son works in the Commerce Department under President Donald Trump, though he said he is not a major supporter of the MAGA movement. "It really forces me to get out and talk to people. And see the other side. And it turned out there's not as many differences as we think," Elleson said.
The race marks the first open contest for this district since 1999. Both candidates are currently making their case to residents in a region that has elected only two representatives over the last seven decades.
Source: ABC7 Chicago
