Latest news with #9thDistrict
Axios
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Gen Z candidates in Illinois' 9th District say it's about more than age
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's decision to retire from the 9th District at the end of this year at age 81 has paved the path for a crowded field of Gen Z and millennial candidates. Why it matters: Candidate age is becoming an increasingly important issue for American voters, Axios' April Rubin reported, with 67% of adults in a February YouGov poll saying they believed maximum age limits should be imposed on elected officials. The big picture: Progressives are celebrating New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's win in last month's Democratic primary as a harbinger of young electeds, arguing those candidates are in tune with today's most pressing issues, like health insurance, high rents and inflation. Yes, but: Some established Democrats, such as New Yorkers Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, declined to endorse Mamdani. His rise represents the push for progressives to break the current party mold, and more established players moving closer to center. By the numbers: More than half of the newly elected House members in 2024 were in their 30s and 40s, according to Pew. Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, were the most represented generation in the House, but boomers still dominated in the Senate. 74 millennials and one Gen Z-er were elected to Congress last November. State of play: At least five candidates in the 9th are either Gen Zers or millennials: content creator Kat Abughazaleh (26), Skokie School Board member Bushra Amiwala (27), Schakowsky staff member Miracle Jenkins (31), state Rep. Hoan Huynh (35), and state Sen. Mike Simmons (42). The other side: Older candidates are also running in the crowded primary, including former state senator and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss (47) and state Sen. Laura Fine (58). Other Democrats running include Bethany Johnson (46), Howard Rosenblum (59) and Bruce Leon (63). Republicans Mark Su (61) and Rocio Cleveland (41) are also running. Zoom in: Abughazaleh, who was born five months after Schakowsky was first elected in 1998, launched her campaign in March before the representative announced her retirement. She has leaned into the power of social media and online campaigning. "We actually raise most of our money online and with our text and email program," Abughazaleh tells Axios. "I personally approve all of our emails. I personally approve our texts, and we make sure that they're not spammy." Amiwala, the other Gen Zer, celebrates her age as an asset, telling CNBC last year, "I think Gen Zers embrace authenticity more so than other generations in the workforce, which is a powerful skill I've learned from my peers: If you show up as your authentic self, and are comfortable in your skin, more people will gravitate to you and want to work with you." Context: Abughazaleh says her appeal is less about age and more about experiences many older members of Congress lack. "A lot of our members of Congress didn't go through school shooting drills. Some of them don't even have kids that went through school shooting drills," Abughazaleh says. "They haven't had to pay out-of-pocket medical costs in a long-ass time. I just got health insurance like two weeks ago." Amiwala agrees: "Merit and diversity aren't on a continuum; you don't either get the most qualified candidate or the young/diverse candidate, you get and should expect both."
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in crowded 9th Congressional District primary
Evanston Mayor and former state legislator Daniel Biss' progressive credentials got a boost Wednesday with an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in Illinois' increasingly crowded 9th Congressional District Democratic primary race. Warren, a three-term senator from Massachusetts and briefly a front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, announced she was backing Biss in a statement shared with the Tribune in which she praised the two-term mayor as 'a relentless fighter for working people who can help deliver the structural change our country needs right now.' 'As Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans continue to shred public services and rig the economy for the wealthy, we need progressive champions like Daniel in Congress to take on billionaires and powerful corporations, lower costs on essentials like health care and housing, and root out the corruption that keeps government working for the few instead of the many,' Warren said, referencing the president's 'Make America Great Again' slogan. While the value of candidate endorsements is debatable, the nod from Warren could carry some extra weight as more than a dozen candidates vie for the chance to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat who announced in May that she would not seek a 15th term representing a district covering parts of the North Side, North Shore and northwest suburbs. Schakowsky, like Biss, was among numerous Illinois Democrats who backed Warren for the party's presidential nomination in 2020. The senator dropped out less than two weeks before the Illinois' primary after finishing poorly in earlier state contests. Biss, who campaigned for Warren in Iowa ahead of the 2020 caucuses alongside Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs and then-Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, in a statement called her 'an inspiration to me and so many others as one of the most effective, boldest progressive leaders in our nation.' He said he was 'honored to have her backing in this race.' 'Senator Warren is a leader in this fight to take power from the billionaires and big corporations and put it back in the hands of the people, and I would be honored to work alongside her in Congress,' Biss said. Biss, who just won a second term as mayor in Evanston in April, also has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove and several current and former state lawmakers, including Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago and Rep. Marty Beth Canty and Sen. Mark Walker, both of Arlington Heights, all of whom represent portions of the 9th District. After eight years in the Illinois House and Senate, Biss ran unsuccessfully in the 2018 primary for governor, angling for the progressive lane in a race against now-Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir, and Chris Kennedy, a wealthy scion of the Democratic Party's de facto royal family. Coincidentally, Pritzker's first campaign for public office was an unsuccessful Democratic primary bid in the 9th District in 1998, when he finished third in a race won by Schakowsky, who's held the seat since winning the general election that fall. A former assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago, Biss was first elected Evanston mayor in 2021 and has supported the city's first-in-the-nation housing reparations program, while rankling some residents with his tie-breaking vote in 2023 to approve an agreement with Northwestern University for its new football stadium. Among those also seeking the nomination in the heavily Democratic district are Biss' replacement in the state legislature, state Sen. Laura Fine of Glenview; state Rep. Hoan Huynh and state Sen. Mike Simmons of Chicago's North Side; progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh, a newcomer to Illinois; and Bushra Amiwala, a board member in Skokie School District 73.5 who was one of the first Gen Z elected officials in the U.S.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clifton councilwoman running for congressional seat once held by late Rep. Bill Pascrell.
CLIFTON — Two-term Councilwoman Rosemary Pino announced on July 10 that she is seeking the Republican nomination for the 9th District's congressional seat in the June 2026 primary. The seat is currently held by Democrat Rep. Nellie Pou, who beat Republican challenger Billy Prempeh in November. Pou, 68 at the time and a state senator, jumped into the race after Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. died on Aug. 21, 2024, following a prolonged hospital stay. Prempeh, an Air Force veteran, announced in March that he intends to run for the seat again. He was the Republican nominee in 2020, 2022 and 2024, losing each time. With just about a year to go before the primary election, other candidates may also enter the race. Pino did not respond to requests for an interview or comments, but released a video to announce her run. In the video, she said she hopes to be a more attractive candidate for the Republican Party. The district, which runs from Oakland to Edgewater and includes Paterson and Clifton, has a plurality of Latino voters, who make up almost 42% of the electorate. White voters are the next-biggest demographic, at just over 38%. Pou is the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress. In the campaign video, Pino said she believes "in this district. I believe in us. And I know that together, we can lead with courage, protect the American Dream and deliver real results.' She also said it's time "for a fresh voice. The people of New Jersey's 9th District deserve a congresswoman who will put people first and deliver real solutions." Pino said she plans to work with Republicans to further President Donald Trump's agenda as she runs in a historically Democratic district that Trump narrowly carried in 2024. Prempeh lost by almost 5%, or 12,500 votes. This is Pino's second try at higher office. In 2023, she ran for Passaic County clerk but lost to incumbent Danielle Ireland-Imhof by 53% to 46%. Pino was born in the Bronx, and her family moved to Clifton, where she lives with her husband and their 11 children. In 2013, Pino won a seat on the Board of Education, where she served two terms before successfully running for the City Council in 2018. Pino, her critics have said, has had issues with Passaic County Republican Chair Peter Murphy and council colleague Mary Sadrakula. Last summer the council spent a large portion of a meeting discussing Pino's requests to move her seat away from Sadrakula. In the end, all members of the council had to change their seats. This article originally appeared on Clifton councilwoman Rosemary Pino running for Congress 9th District
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clifton councilwoman running for congressional seat once held by late Rep. Bill Pascrell.
CLIFTON — Two-term Councilwoman Rosemary Pino announced on July 10 that she is seeking the Republican nomination for the 9th District's congressional seat in the June 2026 primary. The seat is currently held by Democrat Rep. Nellie Pou, who beat Republican challenger Billy Prempeh in November. Pou, 68 at the time and a state senator, jumped into the race after Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. died on Aug. 21, 2024, following a prolonged hospital stay. Prempeh, an Air Force veteran, announced in March that he intends to run for the seat again. He was the Republican nominee in 2020, 2022 and 2024, losing each time. With just about a year to go before the primary election, other candidates may also enter the race. Pino did not respond to requests for an interview or comments, but released a video to announce her run. In the video, she said she hopes to be a more attractive candidate for the Republican Party. The district, which runs from Oakland to Edgewater and includes Paterson and Clifton, has a plurality of Latino voters, who make up almost 42% of the electorate. White voters are the next-biggest demographic, at just over 38%. Pou is the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress. In the campaign video, Pino said she believes "in this district. I believe in us. And I know that together, we can lead with courage, protect the American Dream and deliver real results.' She also said it's time "for a fresh voice. The people of New Jersey's 9th District deserve a congresswoman who will put people first and deliver real solutions." Pino said she plans to work with Republicans to further President Donald Trump's agenda as she runs in a historically Democratic district that Trump narrowly carried in 2024. Prempeh lost by almost 5%, or 12,500 votes. This is Pino's second try at higher office. In 2023, she ran for Passaic County clerk but lost to incumbent Danielle Ireland-Imhof by 53% to 46%. Pino was born in the Bronx, and her family moved to Clifton, where she lives with her husband and their 11 children. In 2013, Pino won a seat on the Board of Education, where she served two terms before successfully running for the City Council in 2018. Pino, her critics have said, has had issues with Passaic County Republican Chair Peter Murphy and council colleague Mary Sadrakula. Last summer the council spent a large portion of a meeting discussing Pino's requests to move her seat away from Sadrakula. In the end, all members of the council had to change their seats. This article originally appeared on Clifton councilwoman Rosemary Pino running for Congress 9th District
Hindustan Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pat Harrigan, Michael Whatley, Lara Trump: Republicans in run to fill Thom Tillis' North Carolina seat
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday he will not seek reelection. This comes a day after he opposed President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, leading to the president threatening him about the election next year. With Tillis' seat vacated next year, several potential replacements names have surfaced, including Trump's daughter-in-law Lara. Pat Harrigan and Lara Trump are in the run to fill Thom Tillis seat(X and Bloomberg) 'In Washington over the last few years, it's become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,' Tillis said in a lengthy statement on Sunday. 'Sometimes those bipartisan initiatives got me into trouble with my own party, but I wouldn't have changed a single one." Breakdown of candidates that could replace Sen Thom Tillis Speculated GOP contenders include Rep Richard Hudson, former Rep Patrick McHenry, Lara Trump, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, Rep Pat Harrigan, and Rep Addison McDowell. Rep Richard Hudson US Representative for North Carolina's 9th District (2013–present), born November 4, 1971, in Franklin, Virginia, and a Charlotte resident since childhood. A UNC-Charlotte graduate, Hudson served as district director for Rep Robin Hayes and chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee (2023–2026). Hudson's re-election announcement for his House seat in 2026 suggested he's not currently eyeing Tillis's seat, but reports indicate that he might change his mind. Former Rep Patrick McHenry Served as US Representative for North Carolina's 10th District (2005–2025), born October 22, 1975. McHenry chaired the House Financial Services Committee (2023–2025) and briefly acted as Speaker pro tempore in 2023 after Kevin McCarthy's ousting. He retired in 2025, citing family priorities. McHenry's decade-long tenure and interim Speaker role give him name recognition, but no formal Senate candidacy has been announced. Lara Trump Former RNC co-chair (2024–2025), born October 12, 1982, in Wilmington, NC, and daughter-in-law of Donald Trump. A Victory Insights poll (November 2024) showed her leading Tillis 65% to 11% in a hypothetical primary. RNC Chair Michael Whatley RNC chairman since March 2024, born in Watauga County, NC. He led the North Carolina GOP (2019–2024) and served as RNC general counsel, backing Trump's 2020 election fraud claims. Rep Pat Harrigan US Representative for North Carolina's 10th District (2025–present), a former Green Beret and firearms manufacturer, born in 1979. He won McHenry's open seat in 2024. Rep Addison McDowell US Representative for North Carolina's 6th District (2025–present), a political newcomer and former aide to Rep Richard Hudson and Sen Ted Budd. Trump-endorsed, he won an open seat in 2024.
