Laura Fine: 2026 candidate for 9th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 9th Congressional District

City: Glenview

Age: 59

Occupation: Illinois State Senator

Previous offices held: 2018-Present: State Senator 2013-2018: State Representative 2009-2012: Northfield Township Clerk

Q&A

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

When I talk to neighbors across the 9th District, the most common thing I hear is that the cost of living has become unsustainable. In my 13 years in Springfield, I’ve focused on the bottom line for working people — passing nearly 200 bills and earning Legislator of the Year honors from over a dozen organizations for my work.

I will bring that same focus to Washington. We start by protecting the middle class from reckless tariffs that drive up prices for families and small businesses. We need to raise the minimum wage and pass the PRO Act so that a hard day’s work leads to economic security. I will fight to restore essential programs like SNAP and Medicaid while expanding ACA subsidies to keep families insured.

Real relief requires a tax code that works for the middle class. I’ll work to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and ensure the ultra-rich pay their fair share so we can invest in affordable housing and utility assistance. Most importantly, I will fight for Medicare for All to guarantee that healthcare is a right for everyone. I’ve spent over a decade turning these priorities into law in Illinois, and I have the experience to start delivering those same results in Washington.

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 actions are making the world less safe. The Constitution is clear: the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Donald Trump’s recent military operation to seize the Venezuelan president is a direct violation of that principle. By bypassing Congress to launch this operation, this administration is eroding the checks and balances designed to prevent dangerous foreign policy.

While Nicolás Maduro is a tyrant responsible for horrific abuses, unilateral regime change is not a substitute for a lawful strategy. Furthermore, the administration’s signals regarding Venezuela’s oil sector suggest these actions are driven more by corporate interests than human rights. We cannot claim to defend freedom while our motives are tied to controlling another nation’s resources.

In Washington, I will lead the push to reclaim congressional authority over war powers. Any further military engagement must require explicit, prior authorization. We cannot allow our foreign policy to be dictated by a single person or the demands of the oil lobby. I have spent thirteen years in the legislature fighting for transparency and accountability, and I will bring that same commitment to Congress.

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?

Governing by decree and executive order has replaced the constitutional process, creating a cycle of chaos that leaves working families to deal with the fallout. In my thirteen years in Springfield, I haven’t just stood up to the biggest bullies — I’ve beaten them to pass nearly 200 bills that lowered costs for Illinois families. I know how to do more than just fight; I know how to win.

Nowhere is the damage clearer than in the administration’s reckless tariff policies that are costing families in our district thousands of dollars. Prices for essentials like clothing and electronics have jumped by as much as 15 percent, and the cost of building a new home has risen by more than $17,000. These are real, painful burdens imposed by a single person bypassing the representatives elected to serve the people. In Washington, I will lead the effort to reassert Congressional oversight and return to a system where laws are debated and passed by the people’s representatives. I’ve spent over a decade turning tough fights into legislative results in Illinois, and I am ready to put that experience to work to restore the checks and balances our country urgently needs.

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

We need a border policy that ensures security without abandoning our humanity or fiscal sense. Under this administration, our system has become an “enforcement-only” machine — cruel and increasingly authoritarian. History teaches us that such “territorial solutions” are precursors to the darkest chapters of human history. Any system built on mass containment and relocation is incompatible with democracy. Because ICE has become a weapon for Trump to target communities through operations like “Midway Blitz,” I believe the agency should no longer exist. We must abolish ICE and redirect its bloated budget.

The OBBBA legislation funneled an unprecedented $170 billion into a deportation-industrial complex, spending over $14 billion annually on detention — more than the entire federal prison budget. Immigration is needlessly complex, but I have a track record of tackling difficult problems by bringing people together. I’ve championed legislation holding ICE accountable. We passed the SALT Act to create “safe zones” and protect our neighbors from ICE. I’ve proven I know how to do more than fight; I know how to win. I am ready to put that experience to work to build a system rooted in dignity.

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?

The healthcare system is at a breaking point. Families in our district are seeing their ACA premiums jump by over 20% this year alone because of political games in Washington. For too many, healthcare isn't a right; it’s a debt trap. I know how broken this system is better than most. After my husband’s catastrophic accident my family was nearly crushed by medical debt, and it’s what drove me to run for office and reform our insurance system.

I’ve made it my priority to fight the corporate interests that profit from this chaos — and I’ve won. I championed the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program, which has erased $430 million in debt for over 350,000 residents. I passed “Rate Review” which allows the Department of Insurance to reject rates that are too high. I also passed laws to ban “junk” plans that take your premiums but fail you when you’re sick. In Congress, I will fight for Medicare for All to guarantee healthcare as a right for everyone. But families cannot wait for a total overhaul while facing “rate shocks” that force choices between medicine and groceries. We must act immediately to restore ACA subsidies, cap prescription drug costs, and eliminate medical debt nationally.

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?

I support a two-state solution where the safety, dignity, and self-determination of both Israelis and Palestinians are guaranteed. This isn’t abstract for me. I’ve spent years with the organization Hands of Peace, bringing Israeli, Palestinian, and American youth together to imagine a future beyond violence. As a Jewish woman, I believe our ethics demand expansive empathy — the ability to hold many hearts in the same room. I understand the deep pain in our community; I have sat with Holocaust survivors and mourned with neighbors in the 9th District directly impacted by the tragedies of October 7.

As we enter Phase Two of the current ceasefire plan, the United States must move beyond temporary stabilization toward a permanent, viable two-state state solution and a lasting peace. The U.S. should be serving as a credible negotiator, ensuring that international human rights standards are upheld and humanitarian needs are met. But this current administration forfeits our credibility when it talks about building luxury hotels in Gaza and ignores the real plight of families looking to rebuild.