From political columnist Russ Stewart comes this commentary:
9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT UPDATE
As expected, 14-term congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D) announced her retirement on May 5. Since 1948 the 9th has been considered Illinois’ “Jewish seat” in Congress. The iconic Sidney Yates (D) held the seat from 1948 to 1998 (with a 2-year hiatus after losing for senator in 1962) and Schakowsky, then an Evanston state rep, won it in 1998 defeating Howie Carroll and a young JB Pritzker.
2026 will be just the third open-seat contest in 78 years.
The district is overwhelmingly Democratic; Harris-Walz got 65 percent.
So whoever wins next year will likely keep the seat well into the 2040s.
It’s a “lifetime” seat.
Already out-of-the-gate are state senator Laura Fine (D) of Glenview, Evanston mayor Daniel Biss, who was re-elected April 1, and social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh.
Soon to likely announce is Chicago state Rep Kelly Cassidy from the Edgewater 48th Ward.
Biss is already saying in a video that “We are living in an unimaginable hellscape.” See what I mean about Chicken Little?
In a party obsessed with “identity politics” there are a lot of moving parts at play.
- One man versus two women;
- two Jewish suburbanites versus one gentile Chicagoan.
Geography matters.
Schakowsky won in 1998 because two Chicago men split the Chicago vote.
Money matters.
Funding from Jewish donors will be split.
Cassidy will get a lot of out-of-district money from LGBTQ sources.
Schakowsky’s endorsement matters.
It’s over if she anoints Biss.
