State senator, former FBI agent join race for Schakowsky’s seat

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The stuffed Democratic primary to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky has reached at least a dozen candidates as of Tuesday, when Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons (7th District) and former FBI agent Phil Andrew of Wilmette both tossed their names in the ring to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. 

Simmons, who represents the far north side of Chicago in the state senate, announced his candidacy on social media Tuesday morning. He pitched himself as the candidate to champion affordable housing, increase access to mental health care for youth, boost public transportation and lift up small businesses. 

Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons launched a bid for the Illinois 9th Congressional District Tuesday. Credit: Mike Simmons

“That’s the type of leadership and creativity and innovation, and, frankly, just the dedication to the people I represent in the communities that raised me, that I would bring to Congress,” Simmons told the RoundTable in an interview. 

“Born and raised” in the 9th Congressional District, Simmons said he’s seen firsthand constituents “feeling priced out” by rent increases and the rising cost of groceries. He grew up in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, where his family moved into newly built and integrated public housing in 1981.

“My story is anchored in these fights, and I’m excited to be running in this race,” Simmons said. “I think that people are hungry right now for new energy and a new vision that understands the urgency of what we mean when we talk about double digit rent increases, and when we talk about people graduating with $50,000 in student loans that they’ll never be able to pay off.” 

Simmons was first appointed to his seat in 2021 before winning full terms in 2022 and 2024. He’s the first openly LGBTQ+ person and first Ethiopian American to serve in the state senate.

In in his current position, he helped add a state-level child tax credit to “provide tax relief to working families” and helped pass the Jett Hawkins Act to ban hair-based discrimination in Illinois schools, according to his campaign website. 

“I’ve got a track record in the Illinois senate now,” Simmons said, adding that he’s ready to move up to the federal government to combat the Trump administration while addressing affordability in the 9th District.

“A lot of this is going to be about fighting the Trump administration, but let’s be clear — these problems are going to still be here long after Donald Trump,” he said. “I’m getting in this race to fight those issues, to fight for people in our district who are navigating these issues every day, who feel overlooked by the establishment. I’m going to Washington to fight for them.”

Simmons said people in the district are tired of “complacent Democrats,” and that he plans on turning his goals into action instead of making empty promises.

Former FBI agent jumps in

Phil Andrew launched a bid for the Illinois 9th Congressional District on Tuesday. Credit: Phil Andrew

Andrew, meanwhile, said his candidacy melds his experiences as both an FBI agent and an advocate for gun violence prevention. His top concerns include reducing gun violence and combating the rising cost of living, according to his website. 

“I’m a survivor of gun violence. I’m a former FBI agent. I’m a hostage negotiator. I’ve got a legal background, and I’ve been a leader in the public safety space,” Andrew said. “So I’ll definitely be bringing that experience to the fight for the Illinois 9th.”

His experience handling high-stakes situations throughout his government career will set him apart from the sprawling lineup of candidates running in the Democratic primary, Andrew said. Even-keeled mediation is key to hostage negotiations, and he said he thinks those listening skills and sense of calm amid chaos can translate to Congress, too. 

“I’m hearing that they want someone who is ready from day one to go in and lead, provide solutions and collaboration. Not just yelling,” Andrew said. 

Andrew is a Winnetka native and graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was on the swim team. In 1988, when he was visiting home, gunman Laurie Dann shot five students at nearby Hubbard Woods Elementary School, including one fatally. Dann then fled the school and found her way to Andrew’s house, where she took Andrew and his parents hostage. 

When Andrew attempted to disarm Dann after convincing her to let his parents go, she shot him in the chest. He survived and became a gun violence prevention advocate, working to establish background checks on gun purchases, according to a campaign press release.

He started at the FBI in 1997 as a special agent and crisis negotiator and retired in 2018. He now works at PAX, a crisis management firm he founded that focuses on violence prevention and conflict resolution. 

“When de-escalating conflicts, saving lives and accomplishing the mission at the FBI, I always remembered the important support and empathy I received during my own recovery from violence,” Andrew wrote on his campaign website. “That compassion has taught me the foundation of resilience that I rely on even today.”

Andrew also holds degrees from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and DePaul’s College of Law. He and his wife Michelle now live in Wilmette, where they raised four kids. 

Now that Andrew and his wife are empty nesters, he said he’s ready to take on a congressional run.

“I think that I stand very distinctively with my experience and skills,” he said. “I’m going to make the case to this district that I’m ready.” 

Zooming out

Others who have declared their candidacies for the March 2026 primary include (in alphabetical order by last name):

All candidates are still prospective until they file petitions to qualify for the ballot. Starting Aug. 5, candidates have 90 days to collect signatures from at least 1,173 Democratic voters registered in the district before filing them with the Illinois State Board of Elections between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

Illinois will hold primary elections on March 17, 2026 to select party nominees for congressional seats and others on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.

State senator, former FBI agent join race for Schakowsky’s seat is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston’s most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.

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July 8, 2025 at 11:33PM

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