Progressive stalwart Rep. Jan Schakowsky announces retirement

Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a staunch progressive who has represented the Chicago area since 1999, announced Monday that she will not seek another term in Congress. 

The 80-year-old Democrat is serving her 14th term in the House, and her retirement will kick off a flurry of party interest in the deep-blue 9th District. 

“For my entire career, I have made it my mission to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders,” Schakowsky said in a statement. “In fact, when I talk with students, I do not ask them what they want to be when they grow up, I ask them what they want to do today to make a difference in this world. It is now time for me to pass the baton.” 

Schakowsky is the second longtime member of the Illinois congressional delegation to retire next year. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, announced in April that he wouldn’t seek a sixth term in 2026. 

Democrats, including Durbin, lauded Schakowsky’s tenure in Congress in the hours after she revealed her retirement plans. 

“Jan, thank you for your friendship, and most importantly, your service and devotion to helping the people of Illinois,” Durbin said on social media. “It’s been an honor working alongside you.”

Schakowsky got her start in politics as a community activist before her 1990 election to the Illinois House, where she eventually became Democratic floor leader. 

She was first elected to Congress in 1998, succeeding Democratic Rep. Sidney R. Yates. In her primary, she bested two Democratic opponents, one of whom was eventual Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, before cruising to an easy general election win. She’s been comfortably reelected ever since.  

A senior member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Schakowsky has long been a prominent voice on women’s issues and consumer policies. She has served as a chief deputy whip for House Democrats since 2002. 

Schakowsky had already attracted a primary challenger even before announcing her retirement. Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old researcher turned social media influencer, announced in March that she was launching a bid for Schakowsky’s seat. 

Abughazaleh, however, only moved to the Chicago area last summer and does not yet reside in Illinois’ 9th District, a fact that has prompted some criticism. However, she outraised Schakowsky in the first fundraising quarter of the year despite launching her campaign just seven days before the end of the disclosure period, sparking speculation that the congresswoman could retire. 

Abughazaleh said in a video on social media Monday that she “cannot wait to find out who will jump into this race” — and more Democrats are likely to throw their hats in the ring for a district that Kamala Harris carried by more than 36 points last fall, according to calculations by elections analyst Drew Savicki.

Potential candidates include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, state Sen. Laura Fine and state Rep. Hoan Huynh. Biss, who has served in the state Senate and House, has long been seen as a potential successor to Schakowsky. In 2018 he made a bid for the Illinois governorship but finished second to Pritzker in the Democratic primary. 

He was elected mayor of Evanston in 2021 and won a second term just last month. Biss didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

State Sen. Laura Fine, who has represented much of Schakowsky’s district since 2018, is also seen as a potential candidate. She has a background in radio and television news and succeeded Biss in both the Illinois House and Senate. 

Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.