Jan Schakowsky

With a two-year exception, only two people have represented Illinois’ 9th Congressional District since 1949.  

That will change in January 2027, in the wake of the announcement by incumbent Jan Schakowsky that she will not seek another term. 

Schakowsky, 81, who is in her 14th term in Congress, has served longer than any other Illinois U.S. representative except Danny Davis. She announced her decision to not run again on May 5 during her annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. She released a written statement to the media afterward, saying it was “now time for me to pass the baton.”  

“For the last 26 years, I have had the distinct honor and privilege of representing the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, my lifelong home and the best district in the nation,” Schakowsky said. “Today, it is with profound gratitude and the utmost appreciation for my constituents that I announce my decision not to seek reelection at the end of my current term.” 

Schakowsky, who serves as a chief deputy whip for the Democrats, said she intends to work as hard as ever in her remaining time in Congress. She is one of the more progressive Democrats in Congress, having championed women’s issues throughout her life, and is a staunch supporter of LGBT and abortion rights and the Affordable Care Act, among other progressive causes.  

The 9th Congressional District, which was far more compact when Schakowsky first ran for Congress, now covers not just parts of the North Shore, which includes Evanston and Wilmette in Cook County, but also parts of Lake and McHenry counties, including all or part of Wauconda, Crystal Lake, Algonquin and Cary.  

Throughout the 1990s, when Schakowsky served in the Illinois House, first in the 4th District, and then in the newly drawn 18th District, she bided her time waiting for veteran Congressman Sidney Yates to retire. In 1996, after Yates announced the upcoming term would be his last, Schakowsky was prepared and made her move. 

In the spring of 1998, she took just over 45 percent of the vote in the Democratic Congressional primary, defeating a then mostly unknown philanthropist and social activist, J.B. Pritzker, in the three-candidate Democratic primary. It was one of the most expensive primary campaigns in U.S. history up until that time, with Pritzker spending more than $1 million of his own money. 

Schakowsky cruised to victory in the general election with nearly 75 percent of the vote. She has faced an opponent in all 13 of her Congressional general election campaigns, and never received less than 66 percent of the vote. 

State Sen. Laura Fine, D-9th, of Glenview, said in a written statement that Schakowsky was “one of the most fearless and effective progressive voices in Washington,” and a leader who “has never backed down from a tough fight and is always on the frontlines for Illinois families.” 

“Her leadership has helped shape a more just and equitable country, and her legacy will be felt for generations,” Fine said.  

There look to be plenty of people ready to reach for Schakowsky’s baton. Four people have already declared for the Democratic primary; one person has declared as a Republican.  

Chicagoans David Abrevaya, a math teacher, and Justin Ford, a senior environmental health safety and sustainability engineer for Baxter International, filed with the FEC in April.  

Kat Abughazaleh, 26, a former journalist turned internet influencer who goes by the name “Kat Abu,” who has lived in Illinois for less than a year, announced her candidacy first, back in late March. 

Rocio Cleveland, 41, of Island Lake, which lies in both Lake and McHenry Counties, has filed as a Republican. Cleveland, a “multilingual paraprofessional” came in last in April in an eight-candidate race for four seats on the Wauconda District 118 Consolidated School Board. 

But while Abughazaleh and others have gotten an early start, veteran politicos have expected the field to grow larger, and it has. Like Schakowsky in 1996, Fine has been biding her time. A day after praising Schakowky’s legacy, she announced her intention to campaign for the opportunity to take her place and build on that legacy. 

In a written statement, Fine said, “I’ve spent my career fighting that fight, passing historic legislation that puts people over special interests. I want to build on Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s legacy, serving as a steadfast progressive representative for Illinois’ 9th.” 

Another well-known and seasoned Northshore politician, former Illinois State Senator and recently re-elected Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, 48, has yet to announce his intentions. However, Politico Magazine, which broke the news of Schakowsky retiring nearly two weeks before she formally announced it, also noted that both Fine and Biss were “widely expected to enter the race after Schakowsky makes her plans public.”