Mike Quigley: 2026 candidate for 5th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 5th Congressional District

City: Chicago

Age: 67

Occupation: U.S.Representative

Previous offices held: Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 10th district

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

The most important issue facing my constituents is the affordability crisis. Core pillars of the American Dream—homeownership, quality education, and affordable health care—are out of reach for too many. Trump has done nothing to meaningfully address affordability and has instead pursued policies that have worsened it.

I’ve heard from Chicago businesses that Trump’s tariffs and ICE raids have been worse for small businesses than COVID. Congress should reassert its authority over trade policy and prevent additional unilateral tariffs. Congress must also take proactive steps to lower the costs of utilities, housing, and health care. Advancing bills like the Cheap Energy Act and the ePermit Act will accelerate transmission expansion, lowering utility prices. The bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act and the Housing for the 21st Century Act will put homeownership back within reach. Finally, we must undo Trump and Republicans’ massive cuts to Medicaid and bring health care costs down for millions. The Senate must extend ACA subsidies, as we have done in the House, and Congress should allow Medicare to negotiate more drug prices, cap out-of-pocket costs, and end surprise medical bills.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

Donald Trump’s foreign policy has damaged our relationship with our allies, empowered despots, and undermined democracy worldwide. He has lent autocratic leaders legitimacy and empowered them in their fights against our allies. He has prioritized Russia’s goals over Europe’s, continuously caved to Chinese demands, and resorted to acts of war rather than diplomacy to address international crises - all without Congressional approval.Congress has the exclusive constitutional power to declare war or to authorize the use of military force. Congress granted this authorization in 2001 and 2002, but has not passed another since. Despite this, Trump invaded Venezuela and unilaterally bombed Iran, risking further inflaming tensions in the Middle East.

Trump’s attacks on Venezuelan ships are illegal and almost certainly war crimes. The invasion of Venezuela and overthrow of Maduro were acts of war, and the possibility remains that he has drawn the United States into a new forever war. Congress must reassert its Constitutional power with this administration. We must demand that Trump receive Congressional authority before any additional military actions in Venezuela or anywhere in the world.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

I have been a supporter of curbing executive power since Trump’s first term. He has eroded norms and pushed the limits of presidential power to their breaking point. I helped lead one of the investigations that built the case to impeach Trump in his first term, and I was disappointed when both impeachments failed in the Senate.

In the first year of Trump’s second term, Republicans have ceded more ground to Trump, refusing to assert Congress’s constitutional powers and allowing our democracy to slide further toward authoritarianism. They have refused to investigate misdeeds and voted down any legislation meant to curb Trump’s power.

When an autocrat tells you what they’re going to do, believe them. Trump told us in advance that he would abandon Ukraine, implement massive tariffs, and invade Venezuela. Republicans failed to act. We cannot afford to repeat that mistake. I have been encouraged by the Appropriations Committee reasserting its authority and passing funding bills that largely reject the deep cuts proposed by Trump. But Republicans and Democrats in Congress must do more to curb Trump’s autocratic tendencies and restore the Constitution as the highest law in the land.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

We can and must do more to reduce illegal border crossings. Ports of entry need more financial and personnel support so agencies like ICE and CBP can do their jobs effectively. The current administration’s policy of sowing fear and chaos is not securing our border. Deploying CBP long distances from their posts directly reduces border security and creates mistrust between communities and local law enforcement, overshadowing the work ICE and CBP are actually tasked with.

The Trump administration should pursue policies that could actually address our broken immigration system. We should be improving court processing times, rebuilding the immigration processing system that Trump gutted, and addressing the root causes of migration. Until we resolve the issues in Latin America from which immigrants are fleeing, the flow to our southern border simply will not be fully resolved. Most importantly, Congress must acknowledge that the time for quick fixes is long past and tackle comprehensive immigration reform. Our state’s senior Senator, Dick Durbin, has been a strong voice on this issue, and I have long agreed with his calls for comprehensive immigration reform.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

I strongly support universal healthcare coverage for all Americans. I was proud to vote for the ACA which halved the portion of Americans without insurance, and I was equally proud to oppose numerous Republican efforts to repeal it.

We are much closer to the goal of universal healthcare because of the ACA. Unfortunately, this fall, Republicans mounted their latest assault on affordable health care by allowing ACA tax credits to expire. In the United States, no family should go bankrupt because someone gets sick, no senior should ration their medication to pay the rent, and no parent should have to choose between a doctor’s visit and putting food on the table.

While Republicans debated whether to save lives, Americans faced drastically higher premiums during this ACA open enrollment period, leading to a 1.4 million decrease in enrollees.

We must undo Trump and Republicans’ massive cuts to Medicaid and bring health care costs down for millions. The Senate must extend ACA subsidies, as we have done in the House, and Congress should allow Medicare to negotiate more drug prices, cap out-of-pocket costs, and end surprise medical bills.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

The conflict in the Middle East is one of the most complex foreign policy challenges of our time, and addressing it requires a nuance that is not often rewarded in today’s political climate. Ultimately, the only answer to this conflict is a two-state solution.

On October 7, Hamas perpetrated the worst attack on Jewish life since the Holocaust. I continue to unwaveringly support Israel’s right to defend itself. Hamas’s capability to launch attacks must be eradicated and they should play no role in a future Palestinian state. The continuation of this conflict has empowered some of the worst forces in both societies, and the United States must do its part to chart a path towards a new horizon. I have called for the recognition of a Palestinian state to ensure a peaceful future for the region and the safety and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

The United States and our partners in the region must help maintain a lasting peace, ensure Israel’s long-term security, rebuild Gaza, and establish a true path forward for the peaceful coexistence of two states for the Palestinian and Israeli people.