Name: Junaid Ahmed

What office are you seeking: Illinois 8th Congressional District

What is your political party? Democrat

What is your current age? 50

Occupation and employer: Director, Saks Technology

What offices, if any, have you previously held? N/A

City: South Barrington

Campaign website: junaidforus.com

Education: MBA, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Community involvement: I am a longtime community organizer, tech entrepreneur, and a proud immigrant. I have been involved in relief work just about all adult life including volunteering with the organization, Chi-Care, which has delivered over one million meals to unhoused neighbors. I have been organizing for health care, environment protection, and immigration rights. I have protested to successfully shutdown the ICE detention center in McHenry County in 2020/2021 when ICE was detaining immigrants including parents separated from their children.

Marital status/Immediate family: I am married to my wife Shirin and we have 4 beautiful children together.

What are your top three legislative priorities for your first year in the U.S. House?

First, lowering costs for working families—especially healthcare, housing, childcare, and prescription drugs. Second, investing in good union jobs through infrastructure, clean energy, and domestic manufacturing so our district and country can thrive long-term. Third, defending democracy and civil rights, including voting rights, immigrant rights, and protections against political extremism and hate.

What specific local issues in this district will guide your work in Congress?

Rising housing costs, underfunded schools, and the real economic pressure facing immigrant and working-class families. This district is diverse and growing, and my work will be guided by making life more affordable and ensuring federal policy actually reflects the lived reality of the people who call it home.

What federal funding priorities would you advocate for this district, including infrastructure needs like roads, bridges, broadband, and transit?

I would fight for modernizing roads and bridges, expanding and electrifying public transit, universal high-speed broadband, climate-resilient infrastructure, and clean water investments. I would also fight for every dollar possible for our public schools and community college, ensuring quality and affordable education for our students.

How will you prioritize the concerns of your district versus the priorities of your party?

My loyalty is to the people of this district. When party priorities align with their needs, I’ll push hard alongside my colleagues. When they don’t, I won’t hesitate to speak up and advocate for what my constituents actually need. Representation means accountability to voters, not party leadership.

Has Congress given up its Article I powers during the Trump administration? How would you restore congressional authority?

Yes. Congress has allowed massive overreach by the Trump administration in areas like war powers, spending, and emergency authority. The President is holding congressionally appropriated funding hostage to bend states and universities to his will in a manner that is entirely unacceptable and unconstitutional. In Congress, I would work to reclaim our constitutional role by strengthening oversight, enforcing the War Powers Resolution, reasserting control over appropriations, and ending the rubber-stamping of executive actions.

What is your position on U.S. intervention, specifically Ukraine, Israel and Venezuela?

I support diplomacy first and adherence to international law. Ukraine has the right to defend itself from invasion, and U.S. support should be paired with a clear diplomatic strategy. In Israel and Palestine, U.S. policy must uphold human rights, oppose collective punishment, and push for self determination for the Palestinian people. We can not fund genocide and any aid to Israel should be conditioned on adherence to civil rights. In Venezuela, sanctions should not punish civilians, and U.S. policy should prioritize democratic processes and humanitarian relief over regime-change tactics.

Do you believe the President should have the constitutional authority to order military strikes and detain a foreign head of state without prior Congressional authorization? Why or why not, and where should Congress draw the line between executive action and its own constitutional war powers?

No. The Constitution is clear that Congress holds the power to declare war. Emergency defensive actions may be necessary in narrow circumstances, but prolonged military action or detaining foreign leaders without congressional authorization undermines democratic accountability and the rule of law. The U.S. has a long history of regime-change tactics that have rarely proven beneficial for civilians and global peace.

Do you believe any conduct of the current administration needs to be investigated?

Yes. Congress has a responsibility to investigate credible allegations of corruption, abuse of power, violations of civil liberties, and misuse of federal agencies—all of which seem to occur with regularity under this administration. This authority can and should be utilized regardless of who is in the White House. No one is above the law.

Has the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gone too far in its recommendations?

Efficiency should never come at the expense of quality, effectiveness, and accountability. Taking a sledgehammer to critical services that working families rely on with no understanding of how those programs work is deeply misguided - and that’s what we saw from DOGE. I am all for efficiency and saving taxpayer money, but we must do so in a way that allows government to best serve its people.

How will you work across the aisle to pass legislation?

I’ll work with anyone in good faith on lowering costs, supporting workers, veterans’ care, infrastructure, and protecting civil liberties. Bipartisanship should mean solving real problems—not compromising core values or human rights.

Do you support term limits for House members, and if so, what limits?

I believe individuals who can no longer keep up with the pace of serving in Congress should step aside and allow the next generation to lead.

What is your stance on border security and immigration reform?

We need comprehensive immigration reform that is humane and prioritizes a pathway to citizenship and keeping families together. Militarization and mass detention are not solutions. We can have border security without deploying ICE and CBP to terrorize our communities.

Do you support changes to Social Security or Medicare to ensure long-term solvency?

I oppose benefit cuts or raising the retirement age. We can ensure long-term solvency by lifting the payroll tax cap, using buying power to lower drug prices, and making the wealthy pay their fair share.

What should Congress do to address healthcare affordability?

Pass Medicare for All or, at minimum, expand public options, cap prescription drug prices, eliminate surprise billing, and stop private equity from extracting profits from healthcare at the expense of patients.

Is the CDC a trustworthy, qualified source of information under RFK Jr.? How should public health policy be managed?

No it is not. Public health must be guided by science, transparency, and career experts—not political ideology. Congress must conduct strong oversight to ensure agencies like the CDC remain evidence-based, independent, and accountable to public health outcomes, not the whims of RFK.

How should Congress regulate artificial intelligence, if at all?

AI must be regulated to protect workers, privacy, civil rights, and democracy. That includes transparency requirements, limits on surveillance and biometric data use, safeguards against bias, and labor protections as automation expands. We should harness AI to make government more efficient and effective while ensuring workers are protected as it becomes more prevalent.

If Democrats win the House in 2026, how do you feel about calls for impeaching President Trump?

Congress should absolutely use its authority to investigate the many allegations of corruption and constitutional overreach circling this administration. If investigations reveal impeachable conduct, Congress has a duty to act.

If Democrats win the House, what issues should oversight committees investigate first?

Abuse of executive power, corruption and self-dealing, violations of civil and voting rights, politicization of federal agencies, and corporate influence over public policy.

What issues, if any, do you agree with Republicans on?

Supporting veterans, rebuilding infrastructure, and combating opioid addiction. I hope we can build bipartisan consensus around lowering prices for working families, but that starts with taking on corporate power in our politics.

Should private equity and hedge funds be allowed to purchase so many homes?

No. Housing should be for people, not speculative assets. I support restrictions on corporate homeownership and strong tenant protections to stabilize communities and lower rents.

Do you support or oppose the expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients? Why?

I oppose them. Work requirements don’t address poverty—they punish people during economic instability, caregiving responsibilities, or health crises. Food assistance should be accessible and dignified.

Who are your top donors? How often do you speak with them?

My campaign is powered by people. I don’t take corporate PAC money, and I don’t have private access arrangements with donors. I spend my time listening to constituents, not wealthy interests.

How would you reform U.S. trade policy so that farms don’t need repeated bailouts from tariff impacts?

Trade policy must protect farmers, workers, and supply chains—not just corporate profits. That means enforcing labor and environmental standards, avoiding reckless tariffs that trigger retaliation, diversifying export markets, and strengthening domestic demand so farmers aren’t used as collateral damage.