For many attendees of Evanston’s annual Fourth of July Parade on Friday, the celebration served as a mid-afternoon stop on a leisurely day of family, fun and barbecues. 

But for candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Evanston) soon-to-be-open Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat, the Evanston parade was just one piece of a hectic scheduling puzzle as candidates sought to visit as many Independence Day events as possible. 

Schakowsky announced in May that she would not seek re-election, triggering the first open Democratic primary for the seat since 1998.

With more than 10 candidates vying for attention in that crowded primary field, and many more fighting for other seats in the area, many campaigners seized on the opportunity to connect with prospective voters — thousands of residents lining Central Street in folding chairs and waving miniature American flags. As campaign floats rolled along, volunteers peeled off, darting to the sidewalk to hand out pamphlets before rejoining the procession.

One candidate, content creator Kat Abughazaleh, began her day in the district’s northwest corner. When the Hawthorn Woods parade got rained out, she still had three more stops to make on her tour: Evanston, Glenview and Skokie. 

“Everything in campaigning is getting your name out there,” she said. 

To prepare for the day, volunteers for Abughazaleh’s campaign gathered in her Rogers Park headquarters to paint signs and banners the night before. Some marched down Central Street handing out pamphlets and sporting American flags as she rode in a car behind them during the parade. 

For Abughazaleh, this year’s parade was more than a festive tradition — it was a key moment in a campaign season unlike any the district has seen in nearly three decades. 

State Sen. Laura Fine and Mayor Daniel Biss, who are both running for that same seat, also had campaign volunteers at the parade. Biss walked up and down the parade route throughout the afternoon, shaking hands with attendees. 

In addition to 9th District candidates, other political figures marched to rally support for their own races, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is running for U.S. Senate, and Rachel Ruttenberg and Patrick Hanley, both running for Fine’s seat in the state senate.

Schakowsky and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita — who are not currently campaigning — also had floats. A total of nine politicians registered to march in the parade.

Neil Gambow, who drove Morita’s float, echoed Abughazaleh’s emphasis on voter engagement.

“If you don’t have name recognition when you appear in a ballot, you’re going to be working with your arms tied behind your head,” he said. 

Though the parade celebrated American freedom and independence as it always had, many residents acknowledged a sharper political edge to this year’s event. 

For some, the fact that President Donald Trump was simultaneously signing the contentious One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law gave the day an added sense of political urgency. 

“Despite the chaos we see coming out of Washington D.C., I think it’s important to demonstrate that true patriotism is about standing for our country and standing for the people of America,” Stratton said. “We’re not going back.”

Others expressed a similar determination to speak out against the current administration.

Janira Clark, a volunteer for Biss’ float, stood among other supporters, fanning herself as the group waited to join the lineup. Clark said she came to the parade to stand up for the freedom Independence Day represents during a time of political unrest.

“Today, we really need to come out in force and show that our strengths are our differences,” Clark said. “We can’t allow ourselves to be scared into submission.” 

Even those not running for office saw the parade as an opportunity to speak out. Chicago resident Theodore Ehara, who marched with the group Peace Puppets, used the moment to deliver a broader message about unity. 

Wearing a bucket hat with a camouflage-print brim, Ehara matched the puppet he was holding, a bearded figure in a military uniform meant to underscore his call for increased funding for veterans’ hospitals.

“The present administration seems to be trying to separate people into groups,” he said. “When actually, we’re just one country and one people.”

Molly Kurtzer-Ellenbogen is a student in the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute this summer.

Email: [email protected]

 

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