Mike Quigley: 2026 candidate for the 5th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 5th Congressional District

Party: Democrat

City: Chicago

Age: 67

Previous offices held: Cook County Commissioner, U.S. Representative

Q&A

What is your view on the role of tariffs in the American economy? Do you support the president’s policies on setting tariffs on goods from other countries?

I do not support the president's tariffs. They function like a tax, driving up prices for consumers and businesses. Illinois households have paid an average of $2,000 more since 2025, and Chicago-area manufacturers, breweries, car dealers, and home builders say they must raise prices and cut staff. Illinois is a top-ten importing and exporting state, so retaliation hurts our products; soybean farmers lost China's purchases to Brazil and Argentina, markets we may not recover. The constant threat, rollback, and reinstatement of tariffs also discourages hiring and planning. The Constitution gives Congress most tariff power, and Congress should take it back. I voted for H.J.Res.73 to rein in the president's authority; it passed the House with bipartisan support but stalled in the Senate. I also cosponsored the Congressional Trade Authority Act and the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act. We need only a few Republicans to join us to curb these tariffs and restore certainty.

What should Congress do to protect Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid? Will Congress act in time to prevent significant cuts in Social Security benefits?

Social Security pays out more than it takes in, and without action beneficiaries face an automatic 22% cut in just a few years. Waiting until near insolvency would be irresponsible; reforms should come sooner, when they can be phased in gradually. I oppose arbitrary, across-the-board benefit cuts. A balanced package could lift the payroll tax cap so top earners contribute more and include targeted means-testing for very high-income beneficiaries. Any change to the eligibility age must account for differences in life expectancy, job type, and income, and not burden workers in physically demanding careers.

For Medicare and Medicaid, we should restore Medicaid access and reverse the cuts in the Big Ugly Bill, expand Medicare's drug price negotiation, and address Medicare Advantage overpayments.

Whether Congress acts in time depends on political will. I created a Bipartisan Budget Reform Working Group of Members and experts to chart a path forward. The only sustainable solution is bipartisan; Social Security cannot be a political weapon or kicked down the road.

How do you rate the state of health care in America? In particular, what are your views on the Affordable Care Act and the concept of Medicare for All?

Too many families cannot afford health care. I proudly voted for the Affordable Care Act, which cut the uninsured rate in half and was a major step toward affordable, reliable coverage. Republicans have since slashed Medicaid and ACA subsidies; the subsidies expired in January and nearly 100,000 Illinoisans lost their plans. Congress should immediately restore them and reverse the Medicaid cuts.

I am a cosponsor of Medicare for All and a public option. Any serious analysis must weigh premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and the taxes to finance it. Medicare already sets prices in most health care spaces, so expanding it would strengthen its power to hold costs down.

We should also let Medicare negotiate more drug prices, cap out-of-pocket costs, address consolidation, end surprise medical bills, and keep site-neutral payment on the table. The federal government should also pay to train thousands more primary care doctors, guarantee telehealth access, and let nurse practitioners provide care they are qualified to deliver. Expanding access to providers will lower costs.

How would you describe the working relationships in the U.S. House today? What can be done to promote more effective government in Congress, and what will you do personally to work toward this goal?

Compromise has become a lost art. Too many extremists see bipartisanship as a bad thing rather than the only way to get anything done. I disagree with Republican colleagues often, but I look for common ground.

That work has produced results. The ACT for ALS law funds medical research and passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support; my bill to reauthorize it for five years passed the Senate on September 28 and is headed to the president's desk. We also need a lot more housing to reduce costs. I voted for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and introduced the bipartisan FAST Housing Act. I am cautiously optimistic on permitting reform, which would reduce energy costs and address climate change.

On the budget, I created a Bipartisan Budget Reform Working Group and introduced a bipartisan resolution for a 3% deficit-to-GDP target. Any solution must be big, balanced, and bipartisan, with everything on the table. Congress also needs serious reforms. Ending gerrymandering, which has created hyper-partisan districts and discouraged consensus seeking, is a primary one, and I cosponsor the Freedom to Vote Act to ban partisan gerrymandering.

Do you believe the nation's election system and those of the individual states are secure and fair? If not, what must be done to improve them?

Our elections are secure and fair, but keeping them so takes sustained effort. Voter fraud is vanishingly rare, and noncitizen voting is already illegal. The SAVE Act would only make voting harder, especially for millions of women who changed their names at marriage; I have repeatedly voted against it. I'm also concerned the administration may use the National Guard or ICE to intimidate voters, and I'm working with officials to keep voting sites safe and welcoming.

As an appropriator, I made election security a priority, fighting the Trump Administration's attempt to cut $380 million in Election Assistance Commission grants and boosting that funding to $500 million. These grants help replace outdated equipment, strengthen cybersecurity, and train poll workers. I will keep fighting for steady funding.

Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. I cosponsor the Freedom to Vote Act to ban partisan gerrymandering, support independent redistricting commissions, and advocate a Select Committee on Congressional Modernization to explore open primaries, ranked choice voting, and proportional representation.

If elected, what will you do to help make Congress more effective?

I will push to modernize Congress so it can meet our constituents' urgent demands. I am advocating a Select Committee on Congressional Modernization, a bipartisan group dedicated to electoral and institutional reforms, including ending gerrymandering. I will also keep working for a Select Committee on AI to write the rules that protect Americans and address coming job losses.

I will continue building bipartisan coalitions, as I did on ACT for ALS, housing affordability, and lead the Bipartisan Budget Reform Working Group. I will work to restore Congress's constitutional authority, including its power over tariffs and war, through measures like the Congressional Trade Authority Act and the War Powers Resolutions I have supported.

Congress must also return to its oversight role. In the next Congress, we should hold hearings and investigations, including into ICE's abuses, so those who broke the law and terrified our communities are held accountable. Finally, I will keep pressing for Supreme Court ethics reform and transparency, including the SCERT Act and live streamed proceedings, to help restore trust in our institutions.