3 frontrunners, millions in super PAC spending crowd Dem primary race for Robin Kelly’s House seat

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CHICAGO (WLS) — The primary election is just four days away from Friday, and there is a crowded field trying to replace Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who is running for U.S. Senate.

Illinois’ Second Congressional District runs from Kenwood all the way down to Danville and west to Pontiac. The Democratic primary race features some familiar names, along with millions of dollars in super PAC spending. ABC7 talked to the three leading candidates as this campaign heads into the final days.

Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. greeted diners at Valois in Hyde Park, one of many campaign stops on his plate in the closing days of this race.

"I’m optimistic that the people heard our message, that they want the Second Congressional District to move forward and not backwards," Jackson said.

Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller talked to voters in Matteson on Friday, hoping to be the consensus choice.

"Consensus builder; that’s what I am. I know how to go across the aisle and have conversations. I’m not saying we’re always going to agree, but we will have that conversation. I think that’s what’s missing right now in Washington. Nobody’s talking to each other," Miller said.

ABC7 also caught up with Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters before an event on the South Side.

"This is one of the most working-class districts. People’s health care is being cut. People are losing their housing. People are struggling every day. They want to see people in Congress fighting to make their lives easier. That is our jobs," Peters said.

Super PACs are spending millions on this race. AIPAC, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, is running pro-Miller ads. Think Big, an AI PAC, is boosting Jackson’s campaign, while Fairshake, a crypto PAC, is attacking Peters. So, are the candidates concerned about such outside influences?

"The Illinois Second Congressional District is a working-class, Black district, and having these billionaire, right-wing donors coming and trying to buy up this scene is a real concern that we should all be worried about," Peters said.

"What I’m hearing from voters is, mainly the media and my opponents are the ones talking about all these issues. We’re not hearing that from the community. That’s not what they’re focused on," Miller said.

"There’s been no coordination, but they certainly heard my openness to the idea that we’re not running from economic opportunity for our district," Jackson said.

Whoever voters select in the Democratic primary will be favored to win the congressional seat in November.

"We’ve hid nothing about my past convictions. And so, voters who are voting for me in this race are solid voters, because they don’t have any more questions," Jackson said.

"People in my district know me. I represent, already, 27% of this district. I, also, the largest voting bloc population in this district is African American women over the age of 55; that’s me," Miller said.

"We have Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, the Working Families Party, a whole bunch of progressive labor unions and progressive groups that are doing work side-by-side with us. We believe we have the coalition that we can win on Election Day," Peters said.

With only four days until the election, the candidates do not have much time to influence last-minute voters, but they will be doing everything possible to reach as many as they can.

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March 13, 2026 at 06:34PM

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