Democrats fight over West Side congressional seat
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President Biden talks with Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) after delivering the 2023 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images
The Democratic primary in Illinois' sprawling 7th Congressional District is shaping up to be a dogfight.
The big picture: Illinois' entire congressional delegation is up for re-election this year. Most primaries are uncontested or heavily favor the incumbent, but 7th District Rep. Danny Davis' re-election bid is a notable exception.
Context: Davis is running for his 15th term, and his district has seen drastic shifts in demographics since the Democrat began in 1997.
- The 7th was redistricted in 2021 and includes gentrified neighborhoods like the West Loop, the South Loop and parts of downtown.
State of play: Davis recently secured the endorsement of Gov. JB Pritzker and a slew of Illinois Democrats, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
- Davis hasn't seen much competition for his seat in the past, but the 2024 primary has two challengers that could give the 82-year-old a run for his money.
Zoom in: City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin initially said she'd run only if Davis retired, but she changed course and jumped in after the incumbent decided to give it another go.
- She's been the treasurer since 2019 and was a state legislator before that. She's a well-known politician in Chicago, married to Ald. Jason Ervin.
- Conyears-Ervin received an endorsement from the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, who helped get Johnson elected last year, as well as a collection of powerful pastors.
Conyears-Ervin would be enough to worry any incumbent, but add progressive upstart Kina Collins to the mix, and Davis has a huge challenge.
- Collins pushed Davis in the 2022 primary but came up short. The 32-year-old returns this time with more of a political machine behind her, and she's already stirring up the race with a fundraising concert featuring indie rock band The Strokes.
Meanwhile, two other Democrats are running to unseat Davis. Nikhil Bhatia and Kouri Marshall round out the five candidates.
- In the Republican primary, Chad Koppie is running unopposed.