9th Congressional District Primary Election Preview

In May 2025, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) announced her retirement after nearly 30 years in office, sparking the first competitive race to represent Evanston in the U.S. House of Representatives this century. The generational race has drawn national attention and features a sprawling field of 15 Democratic and four Republican candidates.

While covering the race, The Daily has centered the perspectives of voters, including those on campus and around Evanston. We’ve launched The Open Seat, a limited edition podcast series dedicated to covering this race. We’ve broken down the influence of outside lobbying groups. We’ve attended countless candidate forums, quizzing the leading contenders on their positions regarding federal immigration enforcement and Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Now, with the March 17 primary election just two weeks away, The Daily sat down with six Democratic frontrunners to discuss their campaigns. We made the editorial decision to focus on these candidates because of their support in public opinion surveys and the district’s heavily Democratic lean.

I’d like to thank the reporters who worked tirelessly on these profiles and all those who edited their work, including Assistant City Editors Claire Coffey, Wallis Rogin and Emily Dissanayake.

Finally, I’d like to recognize The Daily’s outgoing editor in chief Emily Lichty for her fearless leadership throughout the past six months. Our city coverage would not be possible without your support!

— Jack Baker, City Editor