* Starting off with the 9th Congressional District. Evanston Roundtable…

So far, more than a dozen people, ranging from prominent Illinois Democrats to up-and-coming progressives, have entered the packed contest to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. […]

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17th District), a prominent voice in the Congressional Progressive Caucus who co-chaired Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 run for president, announced he’s supporting [Kat Abughazaleh,] marking her first endorsement from a sitting member of Congress.

Khanna wrote in a statement on Monday that he looks forward to working with Abughazeleh, “who represents the absolute best that the Democratic Party has to offer.” He added that Abughazaleh shares his vision for a multiracial, populist party that appeals more to the working class.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed [Mayor Daniel Biss] on July 17, giving him a big backer among congressional progressives as well. Biss also got early support from U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-6th District), who represents parts of southwestern Chicago. And on Monday, he received new endorsements from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim.

* Evanston Now…

Starting on Tuesday, over 15 candidates across both the Democratic and Republican parties can begin gaining the signatures required to be on the primary ballots next March. […]

The seat is widely considered an extremely safe Democratic seat, with Schakowsky receiving at least 66% of the vote in every election since her first win in 1998. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost certain to also win the general election in November 2026.

Over a dozen Democrats have filed to run for the seat, including big names like Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Sens. Laura Fine and Mike Simmons, State Rep. Hoan Huynh, Skokie School Board member Bushra Amiwala and content creator Kat Abughazalegh. […]

Two Republican candidates filed to run for the seat, including Mark Su from Chicago and Rocio Cleveland from Island Lake. Those candidates need 540 signatures to make the Republican primary ballot.

* ICYMI! The Chicago Tribune…

Danny Davis, the 83-year-old dean of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation and a voice for progressive politics for decades, announced Thursday that he will not seek election to a 16th term representing his downtown and West Side district — the latest move in a generational change sweeping the state’s and nation’s political scene.

Davis also announced his endorsement of veteran state Rep. La Shawn Ford in a budding primary contest to succeed him for the Democratic nomination in March. Ford had announced his congressional bid in May but said he would not run if Davis had sought another term. With his announcement Thursday that he wasn’t running for reelection, Davis will serve as chairman of Ford’s campaign.

“I just decided that this would be a good time, this would be a great time to try and usher in and help bring in new leadership,” Davis said at a news conference held outside his congressional district office on Chicago’s West Side. “Because when you’re on the verge of leaving, it’s hard to do the kind of planning you’d like to do.”

Davis’ decision to retire at the end of his current term in January 2027 creates the fourth open-seat congressional contest for Illinois Democrats next year.

* Tina Sfondeles and Mitchell Armentrout at the Sun-Times have more on who’s running for Davis’ seat …

City Treasurer Melissa Conyears Ervin, who came in second to Davis in last year’s Democratic primary, also announced her bid for [7th Congressional District] Thursday. In a video announcement, Conyears Ervin said she’s running “so working people have someone on their side.” […]

Conyears Ervin last year led fundraising in the race with more than $619,000, and she also boasted about her progressive credentials in that race when she won the endorsement of the Chicago Teachers Union. Conyears Ervin last year was fined $70,000 by the Chicago Board of Ethics following findings that she misused government resources. During her congressional campaign, she maintained the allegations “misrepresented” her office, and she has denied wrongdoing. […]

Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, former U.S. Marine John McCombs, businessman Jason Friedman, pastor Je’Rico Brown, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, Kamaria Kali and Danica Leigh have also announced runs.

Former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. and state Rep. Kam Buckner are also exploring runs, as is Anthony Driver Jr., executive director of the SEIU Illinois State Council and president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

Friedman, the son of prolific River North developer Albert Friedman, has raised more than $1 million since he launched his campaign in mid-April. He called Davis “a trailblazer and champion for our communities and families across Illinois.”

* Politico…

Anthony Driver Jr., director of the SEIU Illinois State Council and noted public safety advocate, has officially launched his campaign for the IL-07 congressional seat now held by Rep. Danny Davis. Here’s his launch video. […]

His resume: Driver previously worked for SEIU Healthcare in advocating for the $15 minimum wage that the city approved. He also helped establish the Chicago Police Department’s first civilian oversight board.

* Tribune…

As the three leading contenders for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat look to separate themselves for Democratic voters, one of them, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, has secured an endorsement from a group representing an issue that has united the left for years: gun violence prevention.

“What we need are more lawmakers like her who are not only going to vote the right way, but contextualize this issue,” said Kris Brown, president of the gun violence prevention organization Brady, whose political action committee will announce its endorsement of Kelly on Wednesday.

The endorsement comes as Kelly looks to position herself as the most experienced candidate for the Senate seat, having served in Congress since 2013 after voters elected her following a campaign that focused on gun violence. Her congressional career has been built in large part on her advocacy for gun control legislation.

“She connects the dots in a very material way because she’s a subject matter expert,” Brown said of Kelly, who represents parts of the South Side and south suburbs. “What we want are leaders who are capable of connecting all these dots and who will lobby their colleagues and bring others along.”

* More from Politico…

Congresswoman Robin Kelly, one of several Democrats running to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, stood out last week with a statement that she supported the Senate vote to block weapons sales to Israel. […]

It was a moment of clarity for Kelly, while her top Democratic opponents — Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi — stayed mostly quiet on the issue.

In her statement, Kelly said she would have voted with Durbin and Duckworth. “I have supported Israel, but in this moment, I cannot in good conscience defend starving young children and prolonging the suffering of innocent families.”

* KSDK…

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi stepped onto the factory floor of a local trade school this week to deliver a message aimed squarely at working-class voters in downstate Illinois.

“I believe strongly in organized labor,” Krishnamoorthi said moments before a campaign stop at the United Association’s Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 553 Training Program, where apprentices learn to operate the machinery used at the Wood River Refinery. […]

Krishnamoorthi said he came to southern Illinois to better understand the region’s economic challenges.

“We’re not addressing the economic pain points that bedevil people right now,” he said. “There’s an affordability crisis.”

“I think we pay way too much for pharmaceuticals,” he said. “Medicare Part D is a disaster. It’s a nightmare. Why? Because the federal government is handcuffed from being able to negotiate the price of prescription drugs.”

* More…

* Forest Park Review | Marine turned stand-up comic launches campaign for Congress: John McCombs hasn’t spent much of any time around the political punchbowl — he’s been out on the road working on punchlines. McCombs, a Joliet native and Marine Corps veteran turned Chicago stand-up comedian, has filed to run to represent Illinois’ 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCombs has never run for any public office before, but he’s starting big running for a seat held by Rep. Danny Davis for three decades.

* WTVO | Lt. Gov. Stratton hears concerns from residents in Rockford ahead of Senate bid: “What I hear is that people are looking for a fighter, and I want to bring that fight, and I want to do it, informed by these conversations,” Stratton continued. Stratton plans to visit Naperville, Decatur and Metro East areas next.

* WSIU | Raja Krishnamoorthi campaigns in Carbondale: Raja Krishnamoorthi is running for the democratic nomination to fill seat of retiring Senator Dick Durban in next year’s midterm elections. He traveled to Carbondale Tuesday to introduce himself and meet supporters from southern Illinois. WSIU’s Brian Sapp attended the event hosted by former Lt. Governor Sheila Simon.

* Journal Courier | Senate candidate Krishnamoorthi visits Springfield, rural areas: U.S. House Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, another Democrat who has thrown his hat into the ring for Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat, said he wants to appeal to rural communities. Krishnamoorthi, who grew up in Peoria, answered questions Thursday about rural interests after a listening session in downtown Springfield. About a dozen people showed up.