* The Daily Herald…

The final day of petition filing Monday punctuated the start of what will be a raucous contest for U.S. Sen Dick Durbin’s seat, with 22 hopefuls. The 80-year-old Springfield Democrat is bowing out when his term ends in 2027.

Democratic front-runners are U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago.

Springfield attorney Don Tracy, a Republican, joined the fray on Friday. Tracy is well-known in GOP circles after several years serving as state party chair. […]

Other Republicans in the hunt include: university instructor Cary Capparelli of Chicago; CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago; retired IT professional Casey Chlebek of Lake Forest; Jeannie Evans of Chicago; John Goodman, a veteran from Des Plaines; occupational therapist Pamela Denise Long of Edwardsville; and Chicago author Jimmy Lee Tillman II.

Additional Democrats aiming for the senate include: former congressional aide and Chicagoan Steve Botsford; attorney Sean Brown of Orland Park; nonprofit executive Awisi Bustos of Springfield; Chicagoan Jonathan Dean, a lawyer; veteran Adam Delgado of Chicago; engineer Bryan Maxwell of Urbana; Chicago teacher Robert Palmer; Chicago teacher Kevin Ryan; Jump Shepherd of North Riverside, an electrician; Chicagoan Christopher Swann, a manager at Feed America; and Dolton pastor Anthony Williams.

* Evanston RoundTable…

In the 9th District race to succeed [ U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky], 17 candidates filed to appear on the Democratic Party’s ballot, equaling the historically large field that ran in the 2022 primary to succeed former U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st District), which ended with now-incumbent Rep. Jonathan Jackson winning with just 28% of the vote. A dozen of those candidates were in line early on Monday, Oct. 27 at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield to file at the petition period’s opening, including:

- Kat Abughazaleh, researcher, content creator and former journalist
- Bushra Amiwala, Skokie School District 73.5 board member
- Phil Andrew, former FBI agent
- Daniel Biss, Evanston mayor
- Patricia Brown, Evanston resident who has not otherwise publicly campaigned
- Jeff Cohen, economist
- Laura Fine, state senator for the 9th District
- Justin Ford, environmental public health professional
- Bruce Leon, Democratic committeeman for Chicago’s 50th Ward
- Sam Polan, Army veteran
- Nick Pyati, former federal prosecutor
- Mike Simmons, state senator for the 7th District

Following the early birds, Evanston resident Bethany Johnson and civil rights attorney Howard Rosenblum filed last week, and the last three filed in the window’s final hour on Monday: State Rep. Hoan Huynh (13th District), and new candidates Mark Arnold Fredrickson of Chicago and Natalie Angelo, neither of whom have publicly campaigned up to this point. […]

One previously active Democratic candidate, labor organizer Jill Manrique, does not appear to have filed before the window closed, meaning she will not be on the ballot in March. She did not respond to a request for comment from the RoundTable.

* Daniel Biss for Congress…

Last night, Evanston Mayor and Congressional candidate (IL-09) Daniel Biss joined the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC to discuss how people in Evanston and across the Chicagoland area have pushed back against ICE, CBP, and the Trump administration. Maddow commended Biss and the city of Evanston for the work of its elected leaders and community members, dubbing the city’s efforts the “Evanston Handbook” for how cities across the country can resist Trump’s attacks on immigrants and peaceful protestors.

* The Daily Northwestern…

Kat Abughazaleh, a candidate for the Illinois 9th Congressional District, spoke about her campaign at a Tuesday event hosted by Northwestern’s political science department at the Segal Visitors Center. […]

“Part of why I’m running is I got sick of Democratic leadership not taking disinformation in the far right seriously,” Abughazaleh said. “We told them about January 6th before it happened, about COVID misinformation, where the DEI, (critical race theory), anti-trans panic would lead, and it fell on deaf ears.” […]

Despite having only moved to the 9th District earlier this year, Abughazaleh highlighted that her campaign office in Rogers Park is also functioning as a mutual aid center and is distributing ICE warning whistles to Evanston residents. […]

Abughazaleh said her campaign has made an effort to reach out to young people, including by forming a Youth Advisory Council and recruiting campus fellows at NU.

* Lake County News-Sun…

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, both have multiple primary opponents, and 17 Democrats are competing for the nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston. […]

Seeking his seventh term in Washington, Schneider will face John Minarcik of Zion, Thomas Rudd of Lake Forest and Morgan Coghill of Mundelein in the Democratic primary. The winner will compete against the unopposed Republican candidate, Carl Lambrecht of Highland Park.

Quigley is dealing with a five-way primary against Matthew Conroy, Anthony Michael Tamez, Ellan A. Corley and Johnny Antonio Bishop, all of Chicago. The winner will compete against the victor of a three-way GOP primary between Tommy Hanson, Kimball Ladien and Barry Wicker. […]

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, is unopposed in the 11th Congressional District’s Democratic primary. He will face the GOP primary winner between Michael Pierce of Naperville, Jeff Walter of Elborn, Tedora Brown of Palos Park and Charlie Kim of Aurora.

* WMBD…

Both of central Illinois’ Congressmen will have primary challengers in March. […]

Incumbent Republican Darin LaHood of Dunlap will be challenged for the party’s nomination in the 16th District by John Kitover of Rockford. Paul Nolley of Roscoe was the only Democrat who filed to run in the race.

17th District incumbent Democrat Eric Sorensen of Moline is being challenged by Montez Soliz of Rockford in the primary. Dillan Vancil of Gladstone and Julie Bickelhaupt of Mount Carroll are the two Republicans who filed to run in the 17th District.

* PJ Star…

Last month, LaHood’s campaign announced that he had $6.5 million on hand for his reelection campaign, far out-raising the other two candidates running in the 16th District. LaHood has raised $2.1 million in 2025.

Nolley has raised $43,466 for his campaign this year, according to the Federal Election Commission. The FEC has no data available on Kitover’s campaign.

The largest donations to LaHood’s campaign, LaHood for Congress, have come from the political action committee Team LaHood.

* Politico…

In IL-07: State Rep. La Shawn Ford has been endorsed by Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and Senate Assistant Majority Leader and 20th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Mattie Hunter.

* More…

* Press Release | California Congressman David Min Endorses Illinois State Representative Hoan Huynh for Congress: U.S. Representative David Min (CA-47) today announced his endorsement of Illinois State Representative Hoan Huynh for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District, praising Huynh’s record of results for working families and his commitment to integrity and opportunity in public service. “Hoan Huynh represents the best of the American story,” said Rep. David Min. “He came to this country as a refugee, became a proud American citizen, and has dedicated his life to serving others. Hoan delivers for working families with integrity, compassion, and results. He’s part of a new generation of leadership rooted in service and solutions, and I’m proud to endorse him because we need his voice and values in Congress.”