GOP House hopefuls cite immigration, gerrymandering among top issues

The Republicans running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat cite immigration and gerrymandering among their top campaign issues.

Island Lake’s Rocio Cleveland, Arlington Heights resident John Elleson, Paul Friedman of Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood and Mark Su of Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood are running for the job now held by veteran U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat who will retire when her term ends in January 2027. The candidates discussed their legislative priorities and other issues in Daily Herald questionnaires, a group interview and follow-up emails.

An enthusiastic fan of President Donald Trump and his strict immigration policies, Cleveland said her priorities are “closed borders and safe streets.” She said she’d champion legislation supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts.

Elleson said his main goal is to bring people together, across party lines, “to get big things done.”

“We have big issues to deal with,” said Elleson, who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2018. “Immigration, the deficit, social security, defense, energy, good paying long lasting jobs, foreign affairs.”

Friedman said his priority if elected is to fix what he called “a broken Congress,” and one of his solutions is to end gerrymandering by establishing a measurement system that ensures districts are representative and fair. Friedman also wants to set a 9-term, 18-year limit for members of the U.S. House and a three-term, 18-year limit for senators.

Friedman wants to expand how long a president can serve, however. He said a president should be allowed more than two terms if they aren’t consecutive.

Su said he wants to unite the political parties and solve conflicts between the current presidential administration, the 9th District and Illinois. He also said he wants to make government operations “normal” but didn’t elaborate.

Fourteen Democrats are also running for the 9th District post.

Stretching from Chicago’s North Side to the Crystal Lake area, the 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. Illinois primary Election Day is March 17.