Naperville resident Qasim Rashid is throwing his hat in the ring this week, seeking to challenge incumbent Democrat Bill Foster in next year’s primary for the Illinois’ 11th congressional district seat.

In a news release, Qasim said brings decades of experience in public service and human rights advocacy to ensure every resident of the 11th District has equal access to justice.

Rashid emigrated with his family from Pakistan in 1987, and they settled in an apartment in Glen Ellyn.

After graduating from Glenbard South High School, Rashid attended North Central College in Naperville for two years before completing his bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago and earning his juris doctorate at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Rashid and his wife, Ayesha, live in Naperville with their three children, all of whom attend Naperville public schools. They purchased their Naperville home in 2022.

This is not Rashid’s first foray into politics.

In 2019, Rashid ran for the 28th District in the Virginia state Senate. While he defeated Laura Ann Sellers in the Democratic primary, he lost to Republican incumbent Richard Stuart in the general election.

The next year, Rashid ran for Virginia’s 1st congressional district, defeating Vangie Williams in the Democratic primary and losing to Republican incumbent Rob Wittman.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Rashid worked for a year as director of civil rights and policy with Karaham: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights and three years as a pro bono attorney for the Virginia Poverty Law Center. He also worked for Capital One, a boutique consulting firm, and Lorium Law, his profile says.

Rashid holds a license to practice law in Virginia, but not in Illinois.

The Naperville man also hosts “The Qasim Rashid Show” — an hour-long program on racial, economic and gender justice — on Sirius XM’s Urban View channel 126 at 9 a.m. Sundays.

The 11th U.S. House District stretches from McHenry and Woodstock on the north through western Kane County and southern portions of DuPage County to Bolingbrook and Lemont on the south.

Foster, a Naperville resident, is expected to his reelection bid soon.

subaker@tribpub.com