Mike Simmons: 2026 candidate for 9th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 9th Congressional District

City: Chicago

Age: 43

Occupation: State Senator

Previous offices held: Brennemann Elementary School Council (2010-2016)

Q&A

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

The cost of living is my top issue because it is the most pressing thing for so many voters, from Crystal Lake to Uptown. I‘ve championed historic economic relief measures at the state level, like raising the minimum wage and providing universal child care for low-income households. I support eliminating student loan debt and medical debt. These are drags on people who could be more active participants in the economy. The richest country in the world should not bankrupt people trying to improve their lives. All of these policies need a fresh champion in Congress. I passed the new Illinois Child Tax Credit in Illinois, the very first bill I introduced, after a 3 year fight. I was proud to lead the fight to eliminate over $430 million of medical debt for 100s of 1000s of households statewide since 2024, with more to come. I championed bills that prohibit medical debt from affecting your credit reports and ban “junk fees” on rental leases. As a product of public housing, I am living proof of the impact of federal action on housing. In Congress I would get us back to building housing for all and reversing the double-digit rent increases all over the 9th District.

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?

I strongly oppose Trump’s latest power-grab of foreign intervention, in both Iran and Venezuela. America has a long and bloody history of going to far corners of the world, looking for oil and resources, and sacrificing young Americans’ lives in the process. That chapter of American foreign policy has to end. These foreign interventions also take resources away from American priorities, like funding public schools and public transportation here at home. Trump and Republicans want to distract us all from the fact that they are doing nothing to keep your healthcare costs down or lower the price of rent, groceries and utilities. Congress needs to step up and do its job, which includes being the determinative body that chooses when and where to go to war, and also when to hold the president in check. Right now, Congress is doing neither.

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 vehemently oppose the expansion of presidential powers and the larger, radical “unitary executive theory” that Republicans have been moving towards for years. With the stamp of approval and immunity from the Supreme Court and a Congress that is not up to the task of doing its job, Trump has been able to continue a pattern that goes back years of secret military operations, endless executive orders, rescissions of Congressional spending, and other ways of hoarding power. America is not a dictatorship: Congress has constitutionally defined obligations that Trump is usurping, and I think the first step to solving this is electing people to Congress who actually want to act on their full set of responsibilities, using all the power at their disposal. We are out of time for strongly worded statements. We need elected leaders who will claw back the duties of their job, keep their feet on the ground of the district, and not let the DC way of doing things stop them from fighting for their district’s interests.

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

As the son of an Ethiopian asylum seeker, I deeply believe our plan for immigration needs to be built on inclusion, not deportation. When persecuted people can peacefully settle in this country, they build successful lives and contribute to our society. That’s my dad’s story: he fled tyranny in Ethiopia, landed in Edgewater nearly 50 years ago with just $5 and a guitar. But when our immigration backlog and a bloated ICE budget keep new immigrants living in fear of violent deportation, it is much harder for them to become stable business owners, qualified nurses and teachers, and better neighbors. If elected, I would work to restore and expand DACA so that Dreamers can contribute to our society with stability, not constant risk of persecution. I would also lead the charge to abolish ICE and move their swollen $170 billion four-year budget back into Medicaid, human services, and education grants that were defunded in the Big Beautiful Bill. ICE does not need to be a permanent part of our federal government: I was in college when ICE was created in 2003, barely 23 years ago. We can and will have a future without the violence ICE is perpetuating across the country right now.

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?

Healthcare is a human right. It’s not just a matter of principle, but a reflection of the lived experiences of me and my loved ones. One of the first bills I introduced in the Senate proposed the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, one of the first real steps toward Medicare for All in Illinois. In the Senate, I have fought continuously for legislation that would bring sweeping expansions to coverage for those who are underinsured or who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Healthcare costs should not be sending Americans into bankruptcy: that’s why I am a champion for expanding Medicaid access, extending ACA subsidies at the federal level, and using all avenues to expand the number of people who get care. My vision for universal health care is not just about increasing the number of people covered, but also the types of care covered. Preventative, diagnostic, and specialty care are all healthcare. Dental care and vision care are healthcare. Reproductive care and gender-affirming care are healthcare. Prescription drugs should be affordable, not an opportunity for corporate greed.

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 genocide in Gaza must come to an end. I strongly support Rep. Delia Ramirez’s “Block the Bombs” Act to stop the sale, transfer, or exporting of offensive weapons to Israel. Any regional peace process must result in Palestine and Israel both serving as peaceful homes for all people, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or other factor. The United States has tremendous leverage, but so far our government has been responsible for arming the corrupt rightwing Netanyahu regime, even as that government has repeatedly shown it should not be trusted with American taxpayer-funded weapons. In the wake of the atrocious October 7th attacks — the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust — the Netanyahu government has exploited this tragedy to kill indiscriminately. It has flagrantly violated international law and human rights conventions in the process of destroying hundreds of thousands of lives. As the Ellis Island of the Midwest, the 9th District is home to Jewish and Muslim siblings, to Israeli and Palestinian neighbors alike, and people across this district want peace above all else. As its Congressperson I would lead with that goal of peace as my north star.