Ten Democratic candidates are making their final appeals to voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary election as they vie to succeed Rep. Robin Kelly in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, according to a March 11 report. Kelly announced last May that she would not seek reelection for the seat representing Chicago’s South Side lakefront, instead entering the race to replace retiring Senator Dick Durbin.
The open seat has led to a crowded and competitive Democratic field, with campaign funding emerging as a central issue. Special interest groups have spent significant amounts on issues such as support for Israel, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency. Several candidates saw more than $100,000 spent for or against them by these groups in February alone.
Among the leading contenders is Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, who has received $2.4 million in support from an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., supported by $1.1 million from a pro-artificial intelligence group, seeks to reclaim his former seat after resigning amid scandal over a decade ago. State Senator Robert Peters has faced opposition from pro-cryptocurrency groups but also received backing from affiliates of Senator Bernie Sanders and union nurses.
Other candidates include Matteson village clerk Yumeka Brown; real estate consultant Eric France; attorney Patrick Keating; Sidney Moore; State Senator Willie Preston; public policy expert Adal Regis; and Toni Brown. The candidates generally agree on progressive policies such as tax increases on corporations and billionaires, Medicare for All, and reductions in military spending.
The district covers Chicago’s lakefront communities south of 43rd Street and extends beyond city limits east to Indiana, west to Livingston County, and south to Vermilion County. Mike Noack is running unopposed in the Republican primary; no Republican has won the district since 1950.
As voters prepare for Tuesday’s decision, each candidate continues to highlight their priorities ranging from economic development and health care reform to environmental justice and public safety.
