‘Time for me to pass the baton’: Schakowsky to retire from U.S. House in 2026

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, the longest-serving member of the suburban delegation to Congress, won’t run again in 2026.

Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat in her 14th term representing Illinois’ 9th District, announced her intent to retire Monday during her annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch fundraiser at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. That event was closed to the media, but Schakowsky released a lengthy statement to reporters afterward.

“Today, it is with profound gratitude and the utmost appreciation for my constituents that I announce my decision not to seek reelection at the end of my current term,” she said. “It is now time for me to pass the baton.”

Once limited to the North Shore and some Northwest suburbs, the 9th District now includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

Schakowsky, who turns 81 this month, was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after eight years as a state legislator. She’s a chief deputy whip for the Democratic caucus in the House, among other leadership positions.

A prominent proponent of the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ rights, gun violence prevention, abortion rights, and product safety, Schakowsky is considered one of the more progressive members of Congress. She has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, both in his first term and his current one, and she blasted “the extreme MAGA agenda” in her statement Monday.

Although Jewish and a supporter of Israel as a Jewish state, Schakowsky was among the representatives who urged then-President Joe Biden to reconsider arms shipments to Israel in its war in Gaza. Schakowsky also boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2015 and 2024 speeches to Congress, assailing the leader as “neither pro-democracy nor pro-peace.”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville praised Schakowsky after her announcement.

“Since the time I first met Jan when she was out knocking doors for my special election in 2008, she has been a guiding star for what it means to be a Democrat,” the 11th District’s Foster said via email. “Her advocacy for working-class families, seniors, labor, and consumer rights has left Illinois and our country a far better place.”

Governor JB Pritzker — who lost to Schakowsky in her first congressional campaign — called her “a fearless trailblazer and a tireless fighter for Illinois” in his own statement Monday.

“Because of Jan's leadership in Washington, working families from Illinois have had one of the strongest, reliable voices fighting for them,” Pritzker said.

Schakowsky hasn’t faced a serious opponent from either major party in years. This past November, she got more than 68% of the vote against a Republican opponent who was appointed to run against her because no one stood up in the GOP primary.

The last primary challenger Schakowsky faced was a write-in candidate in 2020; Schakowsky got more than 99% of the vote.

Schakowsky’s announcement comes shortly after U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, also 80, revealed he wouldn’t seek another term next year.

Four candidates have already announced their intentions for the seat, and more are expected.

On the Democratic side of the aisle, Chicagoans Kat Abughazaleh, Justin Ford and David Abrevaya have said they’re running.

Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old internet personality and former journalist who moved to Illinois only last summer, garnered national attention in March when she announced her candidacy. She also drew significant financial support, receiving more donations in her first week than Schakowsky did in the entire first quarter of 2025, federal records show.

Abughazaleh thanked Schakowsky for “decades of exceptional public service” in a statement Monday. Ford called Schakowsky “a great representative.”

Democratic state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove was considered a possible contender. But on Monday, he said he’ll seek reelection in the 59th state House District in 2026.

Didech called Schakowsky “a trailblazer, a fierce advocate and a beloved leader who worked tirelessly for her constituents.”

As for the Republicans, Rocio Cleveland of Island Lake is the only candidate so far.

In her statement, Schakowsky proclaimed the district has “dozens of talented leaders, advocates, and organizers who know our community and who are ready to lead the charge.”

She also insisted she’ll remain politically active.

“While I will miss serving the people of the 9th District in an elected capacity, I am not going anywhere,” she said. “For the remainder of my term, and beyond, I vow to continue taking every opportunity possible to fight for my community and my country.”