Who is running for the U.S. House in the Chicago area during the 2026 midterm elections?
With four Democratic incumbent members of Congress in Illinois giving up their seats at the end of their terms, voters will elect a handful of new members of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
Here's who is on the ballot for the House in the Chicago area in the general election on Nov. 3:
Who is running in the 1st Congressional District?
Jonathan Jackson
Jackson, the Democratic incumbent, has represented the 1st District in Illinois since 2023. He is a husband and the father of three adult children.
Jackson also previously served as national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, founded by his late father, Rev. Jesse Jackson. He also was a part owner of a Chicago beer distributor for more than a decade alongside his brother, Yusef, but as of 2011, no longer had a stake in that company, which his brother later sold in 2013.
Campaign website: jacksonforcongress.com
Christian Maxwell
Maxwell won the Republican primary for the 1st District in March with 64.5% of the vote over Marcus Lewis, and faces an uphill battle to defeat Jackson. The 1st District seat has been held by a Democrat since 1935.
A businesswoman and mother of four, Maxwell has never run for public office before. She said she voted for Donald Trump for president in 2024 but not in 2020 or 2016.
Campaign website: christianmaxwellforcongress.com
Who is running in the 2nd Congressional District?
Donna Miller
After Democratic incumbent Robin Kelly opted to run for the U.S. Senate rather than seek re-election to the House, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller defeated nine other candidates to win the Democratic primary in March, with 40.4% of the vote.
A longtime political ally of Kelly's, Miller has served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners since 2018, representing a district that covers several southern suburbs, including parts or all of Alsip, Bridgeview, Chicago Heights, Crestwood, Matteson, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Park Forest, Sauk Village, Steger, Tinley Park, and Worth.
Campaign website: donnaforcongress.com
Mike Noack
Noack ran unopposed in the Republican primary in March. It's his first bid for public office.
A truck driver from Kankakee County, Noack faces long odds at winning the general election. The 2nd District has not elected a Republican to Congress since the 1950s.
Campaign website: noack4congress.com
Who is running in the 3rd Congressional District?
Delia Ramirez
Ramirez, the Democratic incumbent, has been in office since 2023. She is the first Latina elected to Congress from the Midwest.
An outspoken opponent of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown known as Operation Midway Blitz, she was previously an Illinois state representative from December 2018 until December 2022.
Campaign website: deliaforcongress.com
Angel Oakley
Oakley ran unoposed in the Republican primary in March. She also ran as an independent write-in candidate for the 2nd District in 2024.
A former Winfield village trustee, Oakley is the owner of a marketing and communications firm, and a mother of three. She faces a difficult challenge to win election in a district that Democrats have held since 1975.
Campaign website: libertyangel.us
Who is running in the 4th Congressional District?
Patty Garcia
Garcia is the chief of staff to incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (no relation), who is stepping down at the end of his term. Chuy Garcia faced intense criticism from fellow Democrats for his last-minute decision not to run for re-election, clearing the path for Patty Garcia to be the only Democrat on the ballot for the March 17 primary.
A longtime aide to the incumbent congressman, to whom she is not related, Garcia is a longtime Democratic political operative and advocate for immigrant rights.
Campaign website: pattyforillinois.com
Chris Getty
Getty has been the mayor of southwest suburban Lyons since 2009. He joined the race as an independent candidate after Chuy Garcia decided not to run for re-election.
Born and raised in Lyons, Getty also runs a family-owned insurance agency in Lyons, and is the elected township supervisor for Lyons Township.
Campaign website: chrisgettyforgongress.com
Lupe Castillo
Castillo ran unopposed in the Republican primary in March. She also ran for the seat in 2024, losing to Chuy Garcia.
A wife and mother, Castillo is also a former 22nd Ward Republican Committeewoman, a party official who help with voter outreach, party endorsements, and choosing replacement candidates when a local or state legislative office becomes vacant.
Campaign website: castillolupe.com
Ed Hershey
Hershey ran unopposed in the Working Class Party primary in March. He also ran for the seat in 2022 and 2024, losing to Chuy Garcia. He also ran for alderman of the 25th Ward in Chicago in 2015, finishing in fourth place, losing to Daniel Solis.
A science teacher at Lindblom High School in Chicago, he's also a Chicago Teachers Union representative.
The 4th District has elected a Democrat to the seat in every election since 1988.
Campaign website: Workingclassfight.com
Who is running in the 5th Congressional District?
Mike Quigley
Quigley, the Democratic incumbent, has represented the 5th District since 2009. He's also a former Cook County Commissioner, having spent three terms on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
A member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Quigley also is running for mayor of Chicago in 2027.
Campaign website: quigleyforcongress.com
Tommy Hanson
Hanson won the Republican primary in March over two other candidates, winning 72% of the vote.
Hanson runs a commercial real estate firm and has run for the seat four other times, losing to Quigley each time in the general election between 2018 and 2024. He faces long odds to win election to the 5th District, which has elected a Republican only one time since 1906.
Campaign website: votetommyhanson.com
Who is running in the 6th Congressional District?
Sean Casten
Casten, the Democratic incumbent, ran unopposed in the March primary election. He has held the seat since 2019.
A scientist from Downers Grove, Casten is also a former clean energy entrepreneur and fuel chain analyst.
Campaign website: castenforcongress.com
Niki Conforti
Conforti defeated Skylar Duensing in the Republican primary in March. She has run for the seat twice before, losing to Casten in the general election in 2024, and losing in the Republican primary in 2022.
An energy consultant and single mother, Conforti also previously worked in healthcare administration, and ran her own staffing business.
Campaign website: conforti4congress.com
Who is running in the 7th Congressional District?
La Shawn Ford
Ford defeated 12 other Democrats in the March primary race for the seat held by longtime incumbent Danny Davis, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Ford has been an Illinois state representative since 2007, representing a district that includes parts of the West Side of Chicago and suburbs like Oak Park, Forest Park, Brookfield, and Western Springs. He also ran for mayor of Chicago in 2019, failing to make the runoff election that pitted Lori Lightfoot against Toni Preckwinkle.
Campaign website: fordforcongress.com
Chad Koppie
Koppie defeated Patricia Easley in the Republican primary in March. He has run for the seat twice before in 2022 and 2024.
A farmer from Kane County and a perennial candidate, Koppie also ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2008, 2014, 2016, and 2020. In all but one of those elections, he was removed from the ballot for failing to gather enough signatures on his nominating petitions as a third-party candidate. In 2018, he unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor as a Constitution Party Candidate.
A Republican hasn't won in the 7th District since 1946.
Campaign website: chadkoppie.com
Who is running in the 8th Congressional District?
Melissa Bean
Bean defeated seven other candidates in the Democratic primary in March in the race to replace Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who instead ran for U.S. Senate.
Bean, a wife and mother of two, previously represented the 8th District for three terms from 2005 to 2011, losing re-election in 2010 to Tea Party Republican Joe Walsh. The 2026 race for the seat is Bean's first foray back into politics since she lost the seat. Since losing re-election in 2010, she once served as CEO of the Executives' Club of Chicago, a local business forum, and as an executive for JP Morgan Chase.
Campaign website: melissabeanforcongress.com
Jennifer Davis
Davis defeated three other candidates in the Republican primary in March. This is her first campaign for elected office.
A wife and mother of 10 kids, Davis and her husband own a software company headquartered in West Dundee.
A Republican has won in the 8th District only one time since 2004.
Campaign website: votejenniferdavis.com
Who is running in the 9th Congressional District?
Daniel Biss
After incumbent U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced she would be retiring at the end of this term, Biss defeated 14 other candidates in the Democratic primary in March, with 29.4% of the vote.
Biss has been the mayor of north suburban Evanston since 2021. Before that, he was an Illinois state lawmaker, spending six years in the Illinois Senate from 2013 to 2019, and two years in the Illinois House from 2011 to 2013. In 2018, he ran for governor, finishing second in the Democratic primary to eventual Gov. JB Pritzker. Before his career in politics, he was a math professor at the University of Chicago.
Campaign website: danielbiss.com
John Elleson
Elleson defeated three other Republicans in the March primary election, winning 48.9% of the vote.
Pastor of Lakewood Chapel in Arlington Heights, Elleson also ran for the 9th District seat in 2018 and 2022. In 2018, he lost to Schakowsky by a wide margin, getting only 26.5% of the vote. In 2022, he was removed from the ballot for failing to collect enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions.
A Republican hasn't won election in the 9th Congressional District since 1946.
Campaign website: johnelleson.com
Who is running in the 10th Congressional District?
Brad Schneider
Schneider easily defeated Democratic challenger Morgan Coghill in the March primary, winning 78.8% of the vote.
A former insurance company manager and business advisor, Schneider was first elected to Congress in 2012, defeating Republican incumbent Bob Dold. In 2014, Dold won the seat back, and then Schneider defeated him again in 2016, and has held the seat ever since.
Campaign website: schneiderforcongress.com
Carl Lambrecht
Lambrecht ran unopposed in the Republican primary in March.
An optical engineer and owner of a Highland Park optical instrument manufacturer, Lambrecht also previously ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in 2024, losing to incumbent Rep. Bob Morgan in the 58th District.
Lambrecht does not have an active campaign website.
Who is running in the 11th Congressional District?
Bill Foster
Foster ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in March.
A former high-energy physicist and particle accelerator designer at Fermilab, Foster was first elected to Congress in 2008, winning a special election in the 14th District to replace former Speaker Dennis Hastert, who resigned over a sex abuse scandal. Foster served two terms in the 14th District before losing re-election to Republican Randy Hultgren in 2010. After moving to Naperville in 2011, he ran for the 11th District seat in 2012, defeating Republican incumbent Judy Biggert, and has held the seat ever since.
Campaign website: billfoster.com
Jeffrey Walter
Walter defeated three other candidates in the Republican primary in March, winning 42.6% of the vote.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Walter has been mayor of the village of Elburn since 2017, and before that was a village trustee since 2009. He also has experience as a business consultant.
Campaign website: jeffwalterforcongress.com
Who is running in the 14th Congressional District?
Lauren Underwood
Underwood ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in March.
A nurse from Naperville and a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Underwood was first elected to Congress in 2018, defeating Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren, and has held the seat ever since.
Campaign website: underwoodforcongress.com
James Marter
Marter defeated three other candidates in the Republican primary in March, winning 74.9% of the vote.
A former information technology developer, Marter owns a software consulting company based in Oswego. He also ran against Underwood in 2024, losing by a 10-point margin.
Campaign website: marter4congress.us
Who is running in the 16th Congressional District?
Darin LaHood
LaHood ran unopposed in the Republican primary in March.
The son of former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, who served the 18th District from 1995 until 2009, Darin LaHood has served in Congress since 2015. From 2015 to 2023, LaHood represented the 18th congressional district, but following the decennial redistricting process, he was drawn into the 16th District before the 2022 election.
Before his election to Congress, Darin LaHood was an Illinois state senator from 2011 to 2015. He's also a former Tazewell County prosecutor and private practice attorney.
Campaign website: lahoodforcongress.com
Paul Nolley
Nolley ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in March.
The executive director of Project First Rate, a nonprofit that works with union contractors and building tradespeople, is running for elected office for the first time. He also has worked as a cook, cashier, cleaner, and farmhand.
Nolley faces long odds at winning the general election, as the 16th District has not elected a Democrat since 1990.
Campaign website: nolleyforcongress.com
