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Justin Cochran, the 38-year-old Des Plaines resident whom it’s believed will replace longtime State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-55th) on the March 17, 2026 Democratic primary ballot, said this week that “frustration” with politics, specifically the Donald Trump presidential administration, is what directed him into the political arena.

Cochran’s entry into local politics was in 2018 and within a year he was working as Moylan’s legislative office chief of staff. In that role, he provides constituent services, schedules meetings for Moylan, and “interfaces with Springfield.”

Last week, the Journal & Topics broke the story that Moylan will likely not run for reelection to his 55th District two-year term and that Cochran will replace him on the Democratic primary ballot. Moylan filed petitions to run in the primary at the beginning of the filing period in late October. Cochran filed his petitions for the same office on the last day that filing could occur, Nov. 3.

Until Cochran filed, it was believed that Moylan would run unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican Joseph Johnson of Glenview has also submitted petitions to run in the March Republican primary. If Moylan drops out as a candidate in the primary, the stage will be set for a Cochran-Johnson showdown in November’s general election. The last day to file any objections to petitions was Monday, Nov. 10.

If Moylan is not a contender in the primary contest, there’s belief that he would also resign as state rep. That would pave the way for Democratic committeemen in the 55th District to choose someone to fill out the remaining months of Moylan’s term which expires in January 2026. State Sen. Laura Murphy (D-28th) has the weighted vote among Democratic committeemen in the 55th meaning her selection would be enough to crown to serve. Both Moylan and Murphy are from Des Plaines. It’s possible that Murphy would pick Cochran to serve out Moylan’s term and support him in the fall general election.

Cochran told the Journal & Topics this week that the reason he decided to run in the primary is because he was aware that Moylan was experiencing health problems that included a mild heart attack and a fall from a porch. 

“I said that I’ll circulate petitions for myself and serve the residents of the district on legislative issues such as funding mass transit. I talked about it with my family, especially my younger brother Nathan,” explained Cochran, a lifelong Des Plaines resident and a 2005 graduate of Maine West High School. 

Before becoming Moylan’s chief of staff, Cochran said he worked for the Illinois Regional Archive Depository under the secretary of state’s office. He earned a Master’s degree in International and Comparative Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in History.

Cochran confirmed this week that he and Moylan campaigned in 2024 to unseat 40-year state representative Mary Flowers of Chicago who became involved in a dispute with Speaker of the House, Democrat Chris Welch. Flowers has said that she was shocked when Welch stripped her of her role as deputy majority leader allegedly over a comment Flowers had made about a Welch staffer resembling Adolph Hitler. Apparently Flowers, the longest serving state representative, had made other similar comments, according to a newspaper account. It also reported that Welch helped secure approximately $600,000 to dethrone Flowers who lost in last year’s primary contest to Michael Crawford, who was backed by Welch. The 31st District represents Chicago’s south side and southwest suburbs.

“Marty got involved in that race knocking on doors to unseat her,” Cochran said. “I helped organize the efforts that Marty was in. My role was relatively small.

“I started circulating petitions in mid-October when I became aware of Marty’s health issues,” added Cochran.

The post Moylan’s Health Issues, ‘Frustration’ Led Dem Candidate Cochran To Run In Primary first appeared on Journal & Topics Media Group.

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November 13, 2025 at 11:52AM