U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston plans to announce her retirement from Congress, likely early next month, according to media reports.
Schakowsky, who turns 81 in May, is in her 14th term representing Illinois’ 9th District. She is scheduled to host her annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch on May 5 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, and has said she’ll make an announcement about her political future that day, according to Politico.
Schakowsky first was elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after eight years as a state legislator. She’s served in Congress longer than any member of the Illinois delegation other than U.S. Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago.
The 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. It stretches diagonally between the North Shore and the Crystal Lake area.
Schakowsky’s anticipated retirement surely will set off a flurry of campaign announcements for her seat from the North Shore and Northwest suburbs.
A few candidates already have surfaced.
Relatively new Chicagoan Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old internet personality and former journalist who moved to Illinois last year, announced in late March that she’ll run for the Democratic nomination in the 9th District. Abughazaleh lives in the neighboring 5th District but intends to move into the 9th.
Abughazaleh received $378,596 in donations by March 31, the end of the year’s first quarter, Federal Election Commission records show. Her team ended March with $363,610 in the bank.
The Schakowsky for Congress campaign committee started January with $847,974 in the bank and collected about $213,041 during the quarter. It ended March with about $877,403 in the bank.
Chicago Democrat David Abrevaya and Island Lake Republican Rocio Cleveland have submitted candidate statements to the FEC for the seat, but neither has filed financial reports.
