Rojo drops out of House 52nd Dem race, endorses Chan Ding

Jesse Rojo, U.S. Army veteran and policy advocate, announced Wednesday he’s exiting the Democratic primary race for state Rep. Martin McLaughlin’s 52nd District seat, endorsing recently reelected Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board member Erin Chan Ding.

Rojo’s withdrawal leaves Chan Ding and Maria Peterson, vice chair of the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals, as the two remaining Democratic candidates.

“The decision to end my campaign was not an easy one,” said Rojo, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Barrington village board. “I came to realize that now is simply not the right time for me to run. My focus must remain on my professional obligations and, most importantly, on my family.”

In his endorsement, Rojo praised Chan Ding’s ability to “win the right way — by listening to voters, leading with kindness and empathy, and standing up to bullies.”

Chan Ding said she was honored by the endorsement, noting that despite different backgrounds, both candidates share commitment to “fighting for livable wages, tax relief, affordable child care and attainable health care.”

Peterson lost the 2024 race for the seat to McLaughlin by just 47 votes.