‘I’m ready to stand up and fight back’: State Sen. Laura Fine launches bid for Schakowsky’s U.S. House seat
A day after veteran U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky revealed she won’t run again in 2026, state Sen. Laura Fine of Glenview on Tuesday threw her hat into the ring.
The Glenview Democrat announced her intent to succeed Schakowsky in the 9th Congressional District in a Facebook post that included a fundraising appeal.
“I’m running because we’re at a critical moment,” Fine wrote. “Our rights and freedoms are under attack by Donald Trump and his MAGA allies, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. I’m ready to stand up and fight back.”
Fine, who represents the 9th state Senate District, launched a congressional campaign website and other campaign social media accounts Tuesday, too.
Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, announced her pending retirement Monday during a fundraiser in Chicago. She was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after eight years as a state legislator.
Stretching from the North Shore to the Crystal Lake area, the 9th Congressional District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.
Schakowsky is considered one of the more progressive members of Congress, and she represents a district that hasn’t elected a Republican since the 1940s. She’s also Jewish in a district with a significant Jewish population.
Fine, who is Jewish, too, served as Northfield Township clerk and then as the state representative for the 17th District before being elected to the state Senate in 2018. She succeeded Daniel Biss, the Evanston mayor who is considered a possible contender for the congressional seat.
Fine’s campaign website touts her support of abortion rights, gun safety laws, expanded mental health care coverage and lower prescription drug costs, among other stances.
“I want to build on Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s legacy, serving as a steadfast progressive representative for Illinois’ 9th,” Fine said in a press release.
Several suburban Democratic luminaries have endorsed Fine, including state Sens. Mary Edly-Allen of Libertyville and Laura Murphy of Des Plaines, Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart of Lake Bluff and state Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl of Northbrook.
In the candidate’s press release, Katz Muhl called Fine a dedicated and thoughtful leader and “a true champion for working families.”
“Laura is exactly who we need in Washington right now,” Katz Muhl said.
Fine’s current senatorial term ends in January 2027, so she’s giving up the seat to run for Congress. The 9th Senate District includes much of northeastern Cook County.
Fine isn’t the first candidate to announce for Schakowsky’s seat, but she’s the only one with any elected experience.
Chicago Democrats Kat Abughazaleh, Justin Ford and David Abrevaya have said they’re running. Island Lake’s Rocio Cleveland is the lone Republican candidate so far. Of that bunch, only Abughazaleh — a Palestinian American internet personality and former journalist — has made any kind of a campaign splash.