Justin Ford: 2026 candidate for 9th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 9th Congressional District

City: Chicago

Age: 47

Occupation: Environmental Health Safety and Sustainability Engineer

Previous offices held: N/A

Q&A

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

My top issue is affordability, because it affects nearly every family in our district.

Housing, health care, childcare, groceries, and energy costs keep rising, while wages have not kept pace. Working families are doing everything right and still feeling squeezed. That is the result of policy choices that weakened labor protections, allowed excessive corporate consolidation, and tilted the tax code away from working people.

My approach is structural.

First, I support advancing a 32-hour, four-day workweek with no loss of pay so productivity gains translate into real economic security.

Second, we must strengthen labor law so workers can negotiate fair wages and safe conditions.

Third, I support lifting the cap on Social Security payroll taxes and expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit to directly support families.Affordability is about wages, time, and power. We need policy that restores balance and puts working families first.

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 do not support a unilateral foreign policy that relies on military force without clear congressional authorization or a defined strategy.

The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war for a reason. Major military actions, whether strikes against Iran or operations targeting Venezuela, should not be undertaken without debate, transparency, and legal justification. When presidents act alone in matters of war, it weakens our system of checks and balances and increases the risk of escalation.

The United States is strongest when it leads with diplomacy, coalition-building, and respect for international law. Military force should be a last resort, not a first instinct.

Congress must reassert its war powers authority, require clear objectives and oversight for any use of force, and ensure that American service members are not placed in harm’s way without a lawful and strategic framework.

Strong leadership is not impulsive leadership. It is disciplined, constitutional, and grounded in long-term stability.

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 am not satisfied with the continued expansion of executive power in foreign policy, tariffs, and unilateral executive action.

Presidents of both parties have increasingly relied on executive orders, emergency authorities, and broad interpretations of statutory power to bypass Congress. That weakens democratic accountability and upsets the balance the Constitution was designed to protect.

Trade policy and tariffs, for example, can dramatically affect supply chains, consumer prices, and local industries. Those decisions deserve congressional input and oversight, not unilateral action. The same is true for sustained military engagement and sweeping regulatory shifts.

Congress must reassert its constitutional role by clarifying limits on emergency powers, strengthening oversight of tariff authority, and reclaiming its war powers responsibility.

Effective government requires checks and balances. The solution is not empowering one branch over another, but restoring institutional discipline so major national decisions are debated, transparent, and accountable to the public.

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

U.S. border policy should be firm, lawful, and humane.

We need secure and well-managed borders, but security cannot come at the expense of due process or human dignity. Many people arriving at our border are fleeing violence and instability. We should treat this not only as an immigration issue, but as a humanitarian one.

First, we must modernize and adequately fund the asylum system so cases are processed quickly and fairly. Long backlogs create chaos and uncertainty. Second, we should expand legal work visa pathways aligned with labor market needs so fewer people are pushed into unauthorized status. Third, enforcement should focus on serious criminal activity, not broad interior sweeps that undermine community trust.

If elected, I would support restructuring immigration enforcement to increase transparency, strengthen oversight, and ensure constitutional protections are respected. I would also push for bipartisan legislation that combines border management with expanded legal pathways and worker protections.

Security and humanity are not opposites. We can protect our border while upholding our values

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 government’s role is to ensure every American has access to affordable, quality health care. Health care is not a luxury good; it is foundational to economic stability and public health.

The Affordable Care Act significantly reduced the uninsured rate and protected people with preexisting conditions. That progress should be preserved and strengthened.

First, we should make enhanced premium tax credits permanent so coverage remains affordable. Second, we need a strong public option to increase competition in markets with limited insurer choice and give families a lower-cost alternative. Third, Congress should continue expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices and cap out-of-pocket costs.

We must also invest upstream in primary care, mental health services, and preventive health, which reduce long-term costs.

The goal is not simply more coverage, but better outcomes at lower cost. Government should set guardrails, promote competition, and ensure no one is forced to choose between their health and their financial security.

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 current ceasefire efforts have brought moments of relief, with some hostages released and humanitarian access improved, but the situation remains fragile and violence can quickly return. The conflict has taken an enormous toll on civilians, and trust between communities is deeply damaged.

The United States should continue pushing for durable ceasefires, expanded humanitarian corridors, and sustained diplomatic engagement with regional partners to prevent renewed escalation. Protecting civilians and reducing immediate suffering must remain a priority.

Long-term peace cannot be dictated from Washington. Whether the future takes the form of two states or another mutually agreed framework, it must be shaped by Israelis and Palestinians working toward a solution that ensures security, dignity, and self-determination for both peoples.

U.S. assistance should align with international humanitarian law and encourage accountability, de-escalation, and serious negotiations.

Security and justice must advance together. America’s role is to support conditions for peace, not impose the outcome.