LaShawn Ford had to overcome $2.5 million in attack ads and nearly $5 million in outside ads supporting his main rival to win the 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. 

 

With that in mind he had more than one reason to be ebullient as he stood with retiring 7th District Congressman Danny K. Davis, and Speaker of the Illinois House Chris Welch, at the National Association of Letter Carriers in Bronzeville on primary election night, addressing his supporters.

 

Meanwhile, Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who benefitted from that nearly $5 million in outside support ads by a group tied to AIPAC, was gracious in defeat. 

 

“Tonight, I spoke with Rep. LaShawn Ford and congratulated him on his victory,” she said on election night. “I pledged to work closely with him as city treasurer to lift up the west and south sides and address the financial literacy gap within the Black community. 

 

“I am so grateful to everyone who supported me and who recognized my story in their lives,” she said. “As someone born on the South Side, raised on the West Side and who is caring for my disabled sister, relying on SNAP and Medicaid, I’ve lived the devastating impact of the Trump administration, and I’ll continue to fight back on behalf of my constituents.”

 

As the votes were tallied election night, Conyears-Ervin was able to stay relatively close to Ford in Chicago. With 277 of 299 precincts reporting, she had 23.8 percent, 14,543 votes, to Ford’s 23.64 percent, 14,445 votes.

 

But the margin was far wider the suburbs, where Ford took 7,720 votes in Oak Park, River Forest and much of Proviso Township, far outpacing Conyears-Ervin’s 4,462 votes, 24.4 percent to 14.1 percent.

 

Ford said, as he was on his way to Springfield Wednesday, that he made the decision during the campaign to stick with the values he’d held through two decades in the Illinois House. Ford said some people urge him to reach out and connect with big money donors and spend “hours and hours” soliciting funding.

 

He said he chose another focus, “The old-time way of campaigning, knocking doors and phone calls.”