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RandySF

(73,505 posts)
Wed Apr 23, 2025, 02:55 PM 14 hrs ago

IL-09: Jan Schakowsky planning May 5 retirement announcement

Rep. Jan Schakowsky is planning to announce next month she won’t seek reelection after 14 terms in the House and has started informing allies of her retirement decision, according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private conversations.

The veteran Illinois Democrat, 80, confirmed in a statement that an announcement is forthcoming, though she did not say what it would entail: “I’m going to announce my plans on May 5th. Stay tuned,” she said. Schakowsky’s annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch is set for that date in Chicago.

A longtime leader of the progressive bloc in Congress, Schakowsky has been on retirement watch for months. She is already facing a longshot primary challenge from influencer Kat Abughazaleh.

But the competition the deep-blue seat that includes part of Chicago and some northern suburbs is likely to be among more established Illinois Democrats. State Sen. Laura Fine and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss are widely expected to enter the race after Schakowsky makes her plans public.


https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/23/jan-schakowsky-retirement-announcement-00306181

6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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IL-09: Jan Schakowsky planning May 5 retirement announcement (Original Post) RandySF 14 hrs ago OP
She is one of the good ones. Botany 14 hrs ago #1
This a a safely Democratic district Jose Garcia 14 hrs ago #2
That's really good to know senseandsensibility 13 hrs ago #3
I lived in her district for most of my life. greatauntoftriplets 12 hrs ago #4
Yep. xmas74 11 hrs ago #6
Wasn' t always. Districts were re-drawn in 2022. 3catwoman3 12 hrs ago #5

Botany

(73,901 posts)
1. She is one of the good ones.
Wed Apr 23, 2025, 03:04 PM
14 hrs ago

I met her in 2018 and she is a class act.

I wish her well.

greatauntoftriplets

(177,527 posts)
4. I lived in her district for most of my life.
Wed Apr 23, 2025, 04:32 PM
12 hrs ago

You're correct. That district is bluer than blue. Hated having to leave the district, so I made certain to find one that was similar.

xmas74

(29,859 posts)
6. Yep.
Wed Apr 23, 2025, 06:00 PM
11 hrs ago

This is a good district to get new blood in because it's deep blue.
This is not one id worry about losing.

3catwoman3

(26,543 posts)
5. Wasn' t always. Districts were re-drawn in 2022.
Wed Apr 23, 2025, 04:42 PM
12 hrs ago

We are currently in what is now Jan Schakowsky district, the 9th. We moved here in 1994, at which time this part of McHenry county was in the 6th district, and was represented by Henry Hyde of the infamous anti-abortion Hyde Amendment. Hyde held that seat from 1975-2007, and was succeeded by Peter Roskam, another arch-conservative, who was in office from 2007-2019. McHenry county is the only Chicago collar county that isn't blue.

Democrat Sean Casten finally wrested that seat from Republican hands in the 2018 election. We volunteered for one of his challengers in the 2018 primary. There were too damn many people in the primary - 7 in all. Casten beat the candidate we were working for by 1,790 votes out of a total of 67,013 votes cast. Here's the vote breakdown:

Candidate % Votes
Sean Casten 29.5% 19,774

Kelly Mazeski 26.8% 17,984

Carole Cheney 17.4% 11,663

Amanda Howland 12.7% 8,483

Becky Anderson Wilkins 6.0% 4,001

Jennifer Zordani 4.1% 2,743

Ryan Huffman 3.5% 2,365

IMO, at least the bottom 4 candidates should have had the sense to drop out of the primary. They had to have known they didn't stand a chance. When you're 10 points behind the leaders, why stay in?

Casten has done a good job so far. It will be interesting to see who the Dems run to hopefully succeed Schakowsky.
In the 2024 state and congressional contests, and the very recent municipal elections, things did not go well for McHenry county democratic candidates.

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