Schakowsky, Cohen differ on gun control, Gaza war
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston and Republican challenger Seth Cohen of Chicago disagreed about gun control, abortion, the war in Gaza and more during a recent candidate forum.
The 9th Congressional District hopefuls met Sunday in an online forum sponsored by several suburban League of Women Voters groups. A recording is at youtube.com/@lwvofglenview-glencoe8116.
The candidates’ differences were clear from their answers to the first question, which concerned voting rights.
Schakowsky, who has served the 9th District in Congress since 1999, criticized Texas and other states that are purging people from voter rolls.
Cohen, a U.S. Marine veteran who now serves in the Marine Corps Reserve and leads a nonprofit organization, denied Americans’ voting rights are being restricted. He said the prospect of the federal government taking control of how elections are run is “a horrible idea.”
“The government destroys everything it touches,” said Cohen, who until recently lived in Skokie.
When asked about gun violence, Schakowsky called for a federal ban on assault weapons and for limits on other firearms. She complained that gun manufacturers “are making money hand over fist” while people die.
Speaking of suicide rates and depression, Cohen said people — not guns — are the problem. Cohen said his fellow Marines don’t shoot each other with their weapons.
“I think it’s absolutely crazy to think that guns are the problem instead of people,” he said.
Cohen and Schakowsky disagreed on abortion rights, too.
Cohen supported the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 historic overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision and its federal abortion protections, saying states should make their own laws.
Schakowsky said women should be able to control their bodies and bemoaned the deaths of women who found themselves in “horrible situations” since federal abortion protections were struck down.
Both Schakowsky and Cohen are Jewish, but have differing opinions on Israel’s war with terrorists in Gaza.
Schakowsky criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both for postponing efforts to diplomatically end the war and for expanding the war beyond a battle with Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for last October’s deadly attacks in Israel.
She called for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the release of all hostages there.
Cohen called the war “a moral imperative” and said the U.S. has failed Israel by not fully supporting its ally. “The Israeli people deserve justice,” Cohen said.
The U.S. should help “annihilate” Hamas and the militant group Hezbollah, Cohen said.
One of the few topics Cohen and Schakowsky agreed upon was Ukraine. Both support sending weapons to Ukraine, and oppose the U.S. military getting directly involved in the fighting.
The 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. Election Day is Nov. 5.