Phil Andrew: 2026 candidate for 9th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 9th Congressional District

City: Wilmette

Age: 58

Occupation: Founder, Crisis Management and Crisis Conflict Consultant

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

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

Political and economic instability. Families feel less safe and secure as costs rise and government systems feel unreliable. Distrust in politics, rapid technological change, and constant disruption leave people uncertain.

Families and retirees worry about access to healthcare. Middle and upper income families feel squeezed. Younger workers are living in an economy where even traditionally stable entry-level jobs feel uncertain.People are living on high alert with a president making unilateral foreign-policy decisions without a long-term strategy, using tariffs without congressional approval, and prioritizing enforcement with ICE operating without guardrails.

I will assemble a team of principled leaders—especially in what is expected to be one of the largest new Congressional classes—to align on how to demand accountability starting with the Department of Justice and FBI, and restoring the independence of Inspectors General. And I will build bipartisan coalitions with people committed to preventing gun violence, protecting our children and communities from the tragedies I’ve spent my life confronting firsthand, and which the majority of our country demand

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?

The Administration's approach to foreign policy is chaotic, unilateral and personal, eroding trust with allies, inviting risk and uncertainty, lacks leadership values and deliberately circumvents the important role Congress has in authorizing military action.

Removing a dictator is not the same as liberating a country. True liberation requires a strategy that supports self-rule, brings stability, and prevents extremism. Without it, regime change risks creating new threats instead of freedom from oppression.

I am committed to a foreign policy that strengthens America’s security, keeps people safe, and values liberty, respect, human dignity, and rejects hate and extremism. My wife, Michelle, and I have a direct personal stake, as three of our four children serve in the U.S. Navy.

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 deeply concerned with the dangerous direction that executive power has taken. Our constitutional system is built on the idea that major decisions belong in Congress—not concentrated in the hands of a few.

Presidents require flexibility in real emergencies. But governing purely by executive action, whether through tariffs, executive orders, authorization of military force, and enacting major foreign policy decisions violates the intentional checks and balances our country was founded upon.

The path forward requires Congress to strip away the blank checks of power that it has signed over to presidents during the last several decades. This means passing legislation that adds automatic expiration dates to all emergency executive powers and reforming the National Emergencies Act to prevent the redirection of funds without a specific legislative appropriation. Most of all, it requires a fundamental change in culture in which both Democrats and Republicans recognize the value of the legislative process and cross the aisle to serve the people first, not their respective political party.

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

A new Congress must work toward comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes the positive contributions migration brings to our country and economy. If an immigrant is here illegally and has committed a violent crime, they should be removed.

Border enforcement is only one pillar of immigration policy. Real reform also requires processes that protect people fleeing persecution while keeping communities safe. When systems fail families, workers, business and communities, criminal networks and exploitative actors take advantage.

We need technology improvements flag bad actors, direct enforcement resources to stop drug trafficking and criminal networks, fix the broken asylum system and reduce the backlog of pending cases, create a process for earned legalization for law-abiding people.

Our economy relies on millions of immigrant workers who create jobs and pay taxes, including undocumented immigrants who contribute billions annually.

Immigration policy should make people safer and systems more credible. When enforcement operates within clear legal boundaries and is targeted, restrained, and accountable, communities stabilize and trust can begin to recover.

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?

People struggle to keep up with rising prices and health care is at the center of these conversations. Since 2000, premiums and deductibles have far outpaced wages. No family should fall into debt or face bankruptcy due to medical bills. The government has a fundamental role in assuring care.

I support the ACA because it expands access and provides basic healthcare protections. In 2025, roughly 26,000 people in (IL-9) received tax credits to help pay for ACA coverage.

Its essential for the gig economy where people are juggling multiple jobs or starting businesses and it is vital for workers "right sized." This is especially true for older workers who do not yet qualify for Medicare. I will work to improve the ACA by preserving and stabilizing tax credits that cap ACA premiums, identify efficiencies , transparency, and competition throughout delivery systems, including the drug supply chain. I will also increase enforcement of the No Surprises Act and reform aggressive debt collection that can block families from being financially stable.

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?

My vision is long term safety for both Israelis and Palestinians. The U.S. can reinforce this effort by supporting policies that isolate and weaken terror networks, protect civilians, and engage leaders committed to coexistence, transparent, and responsible governance. We can support Palestinian people with comprehensive foreign aid and oppose further expansion of Israeli settlements.

I support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself against terror as experienced on October 7th, 2024. The United States must remain a strong and reliable partner in Israel’s security.

The November 2025 UN Security Council resolution, drafted by the U.S., offers a framework for a path forward offering a vision for stability and peace and strengthening regional relations. Expanding and deepening the Abraham Accords is essential for regional stability and economic opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement between Ireland and the United Kingdom offers a meaningful model for how a durable peace process can be built: confidence-building measures, cooperation and security reforms, and economic incentives. While the Middle East is unique, principles from that process can be a guide.