U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly’s decision to launch a bid to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin set up a contentious 10-person open race in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary, including a political comeback attempt by former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller is leading fundraising in the crowded field. State Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, has the progressive backing, including a glowing endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Rounding out the field are state Sen. Willie Preston; Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board member Yumeka Brown; Adal Regis, who worked in Kelly’s district office; management consultant Eric France; attorney Patrick “PJK” Keating; Toni C. Brown and Sidney Moore.
So what?
Kelly has held the seat since 2013, and the primary winner in the heavily Democratic district will be favored to replace her. They’ll face the winner of the Republican primary; Mike Noack is the only Republican on the March 17 ballot.
What does a U.S. representative do?
Representatives vote on federal laws, advocate for their districts and work to secure federal funding and other resources for constituents.
Why is U.S. representative a powerful position?
Members of Congress vote on laws that affect all Americans.
Who are the candidates?
- Jesse Jackson Jr. represented the 2nd Congressional District from 1995 until his resignation in 2012. He left Congress amid mental health issues and, ultimately, federal charges lodged against him for misusing his campaign funds. He says he wants to prioritize getting Chicago its third airport to help boost economic development in the south suburbs.
- Donna Miller is serving her second term as 6th District commissioner in the Cook County Board. She is pushing for Medicare for All, maternal health and reproductive justice and for good jobs and lower costs for working families, among other policy priorities.
- Robert Peters was appointed to the state Senate in 2019 to succeed now-state Attorney General Kwame Raoul. A former community organizer, Peters sponsored the state measure that ended cash bail in Illinois and passed laws to raise the minimum wage. Peters wants Medicare for All and to abolish ICE.
- Willie Preston has served in the Illinois Senate since 2023 and is the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Preston is pushing for more trade schools in the district.
- Yumeka Brown served as village clerk of Matteson and currently serves as a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner. She said she’s running because she believes in environmental justice, clean water and safe streets, affordable health care, jobs that pay a living wage and strong public schools.
- Adal Regis said he helped secure millions in federal funding for local governments, small businesses and nonprofits while working in Kelly’s office. As director of strategy at a Chicago-based environmental nonprofit, he leads clean energy and climate resilience initiatives in neighborhoods that need investment. He says that experience would equip him to advocate for affordable housing, public safety, environmental equity and economic opportunity.
- Eric France, a strategist, says the state must extend existing public transportation and expand airports to support the movement of cargo and passenger traffic. He also supports expanding affordable housing in the district and pushing federal down-payment assistance programs for first-time buyers.
- Patrick “PJK” Keating, a Flossmoor resident, is a trial and appellate lawyer. He calls himself a “commonsense Democrat” and says Democrats and a functioning Congress “must be defined by what we as the majority are for, not just who we are against.”
- Sidney Moore, who worked on several political campaigns, also ran for Illinois Secretary of State in 2022. He says he’s not a career politician and isn’t run by party politics or special interests.
- Toni C. Brown is on the ballot but does not have a publicly available campaign website or social media pages.