Skokie-native Bushra Amiwala announced her campaign for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in a Monday morning news release. Amiwala, a Gen Z politician and activist, will seek the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), who announced her retirement last month.

“This campaign is rooted in a belief I’ve held since the very first time I ran for office: government should reflect the people it serves — in values, in vision, and in voice,” Amiwala said in the release. “Illinois’ 9th District deserves leadership that mirrors its community — diverse, hardworking, and ready for bold change.”

Amiwala will join a crowded Democratic primary. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and content creator Kat Abughazaleh have already announced their candidacies for the seat, among others.

Amiwala previously ran for the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2018, losing to then 16-year incumbent Larry Suffredin. She has been a member of the Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education since 2019 and works as a consultant at Google. She recently earned her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. 

In the news release, Amiwala listed several policy points, including a living wage for all workers, Medicare for All, environmental justice, reproductive freedom and student debt relief. 

“This moment calls for courage,” Amiwala said in the release. “We know special interest groups will pour millions into this race to take us backwards by decades. The stakes are too high to settle for politics as usual.”

Email: [email protected] 

Related Stories:

— Mayor Daniel Biss announces campaign for Congress 

— State Sen. Laura Fine launches congressional in campaign 

— U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky will not seek 15th term, capping a career of progressive advocacy