Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky retiring at end of term, not running for reelection in 2026
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who represents Illinois' 9th District, is retiring at the end of her term and will not run for reelection in 2026.
Schakowsky, 80, made the announcement at her annual Ultimate Women's Power luncheon fundraiser Monday afternoon. Schakowsky was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998 after serving for eight years in the Illinois General Assembly.
On Monday, Schakowsky was surrounded by several thousand friends and supporters as she made her announcement.
Schakowsky's first message was that she still has 18 months left and she has still got a fight left in her. She called the stakes in Washington as dire as she has ever seen.
"You want to know what it's like to be a badass?" Schakowsky told reporters Monday. "It means that you are willing sometimes to even get arrested — like at the Supreme Court when the decision was made on Roe v. Wade."
On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, Schakowsky was one of 17 Democratic members of Congress arrested by Capitol Police in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. The decision ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to an abortion — overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that said the opposite.
At the time, Schakowsky said she was making "good trouble."
For 26 years, Schakowsky has represented the 9th Congressional District, which includes much of the north and northwest suburbs — from Evanston, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove, and parts of Park Ridge and Wilmette northwest through parts of Lake and McHenry counties as far out as Lake and the Hills and Algonquin. The district also includes Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, and a small section of Lakeview in Chicago.
Despite reports of her pending retirement, Schakowsky said she did not make up her mind until the last few days.
Schakowsky's announcement came just two weeks after fellow 80-year-old Dick Durbin announcing this will be his last term as a U.S. Senator. His current term, like Schakowsky's, ends in January 2027.
This amounts to a massive guard change underway for Illinois' congressional delegation.
Schakowsky said Monday that she is not prepared to pass the baton to any would-be replacement.
"I'm sure there's going to be wonderful people who decide to run," she said.
Schakowsky is most proud of helping pass the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and working with presidents.
But the current president will be a major focus of her final 18 months.
"Our job right now is to help the Republicans to understand that they are losers if they stick with Trump," said Schakowsky.
Schakowsky serves as the House Democrats' Chief Deputy Whip, and is a member of the Steering and Policy Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is also the ranking member on the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee and the Environment Subcommittee.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement Monday calling Schakowsky a "principled, progressive leader" and saying she "fiercely fought for the least, the lost and the left behind."
A proud daughter of Illinois, Rep. Jan Schakowsky has spent her entire career standing up for the people of Chicagoland as a consumer advocate, a state legislator and a Congresswoman," Jeffries said. "The House Democratic Caucus family will miss Jan tremendously next Congress and I wish her and her family the best in this next chapter."
Jeffries also praised her for being "a steadfast advocate for consumer safety and transparency."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker released this statement: "Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has been a fearless trailblazer and a tireless fighter for Illinois. Because of Jan's leadership in Washington, working families from Illinois have had one of the strongest, reliable voices fighting for them. Jan has championed historic legislation on health care, women's rights, gun safety, and more to support working families. MK and I are deeply grateful for her decades of service, and we wish Jan and Bob a joyful and well-deserved retirement."
TikTok influencer Kat Abughazaleh has announced she is going to run for Schakowsky's seat. Others being mentioned as possible contenders include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, Illinois state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and state Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).
Schakowsky retires following a long career in public service
Schakowsky ran for Congress in 1998 to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Sidney R. Yates, who had represented the 9th District for all but one term since 1949.
When Schakowsky won her first congressional race, she beat out future Gov. Pritzker in the Democratic primary. Pritzker finished third behind Schakowsky and the late Illinois state Rep. Hoawrd Carroll.
Pritzker on Monday made no mention of his loss in that race.
Before being elected to Congress, Schakowsky was first elected to the Illinois House in 1990, representing the 4th District in the north suburbs. She was redistricted into the 18th District two years later, and was elected to new terms in that district in 1992, 1994, and 1996.
Before being elected to the Illinois House, Schakowsky served as the program director of Illinois Public Action from 1976 to 1985 where she fought for energy reform and stronger protections against toxic chemicals. From 1985 to 1990 she was the director of the Illinois State Council for Senior Citizens, where she organized for lower-cost prescription drugs and tax relief for seniors and financial protection for spouses of nursing home residents, among other causes for the elderly.
Those causes continued into her career in Congress, where she focused on health care and senior issues, and created the Seniors task Force, now renamed the Task Force on Aging and Families.
She attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1965 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
Schakowsky lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband Robert Creamer and their two dogs. She has three children and six grandchildren.