Already crowded races for a pair of largely suburban Congressional seats got even more packed, and four representatives find themselves facing challenges within their own party, as candidate filing for the 2026 primary election wrapped up Monday.

New filings set up March 17 primary contests for Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley of the 5th District, Sean Casten of the 6th and Brad Schneider of the 10th.

Quigley is seeking his 10th full term representing the 5th District, which extends from Chicago through the Northwest suburbs and into southeastern Lake County. He faces a primary challenge from fellow Chicagoans Matthew Conroy, Ellen A. Corley and Jonny Antonio Bishop.

A three-way Republican primary in the 5th pits frequent candidate Tommy Hanson against Chicagoans Kimball Laiden and Barry Wicker. Hanson, also of Chicago, lost to Quigley in the 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 general elections.

Casten, of Downers Grove, will face fellow Democrat Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich of Chicago in the March 17 primary. The nominee would meet the winner of the Republican primary contest between Republican Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn and Skylar Duensing of Shorewood.

Represented by Casten since 2019, the 6th District includes parts of DuPage and southern Cook counties.

Three Democrats filed to challenge Schneider in the 10th District: Thomas Rudd of Lake Forest; John Minarcik of Zion; and Morgan Coghill of Mundelein. Carl Lambrecht of Highland Park has filed to run as a Republican.

Schneider is seeking his seventh term representing the 10th, which encompasses parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez faces a last-minute primary challenge from fellow Chicago Democrat Mark John Paskieka Sr. for her 3rd District seat, which represents an area spanning from Chicago’s West Side to parts of DuPage and Kane counties. The winner would face the winner of a Republican primary matching Angel Oakley of Wheaton and Spomenka Vajic of Chicago.

Although he filed nominating petitions last week, Democratic incumbent 4th District U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia will not seek reelection, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. Instead, his chief of staff, Patty Garcia of Cicero, will run as a Democrat. She filed nominating petitions Monday.

She is set to face Republican Lupe Castillo next November. The 4th District stretches from Chicago’s West and Southwest sides to a portion of DuPage County.

The packed race to replace the retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the 9th District has expanded since the first day of filing last week, bringing the candidate total to 21, 17 of them Democrats.

Howard Rosenblum of Skokie, Hoan Huynh of Chicago, Mark Arnold Fredrickson of Chicago and Natalie Angelo of Park Ridge joined the crowded Democratic field that already includes Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss; state Sens. Laura Fine of Glenview and Mike Simmons of Chicago; Skokie resident Bushra Amiwala; Evanston residents Patricia A. Brown, Bethany Johnson, Jeff Cohen and Nick Pyati; Chicagoans Kat Abughazaleh, Bruce Leon, Justin Ford and Sam Polan; and Wilmette resident Phil Andrew.

On the Republican side, Paul Friedman of Chicago, Rocio Cleveland of Island Lake and Mark Su of Chicago filed, setting up a GOP primary that also will include John Elleson of Arlington Heights.

Represented by Schakowsky since 1999, the 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

The field of candidates hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in the 8th District also expanded with new filings: Republicans Kevin Ake of Elk Grove Village and Herbert Hebein of Chicago. They’ll face Mark Rice of Arlington Heights and Jennifer Davis of Huntley in the GOP primary.

On the Democratic side, eight candidates are set to face off for the party’s nomination: Hanover Park Trustee Yasmeen Bankole; former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington; Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison of Mount Prospect; Junaid Ahmed and Ryan Vetticad of South Barrington; Neil Khot of Hoffman Estates; Carol Stream resident Dan Tully; and Sanjyot Dunung of Des Plaines.

Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being left open by the retirement of Sen. Dick Durbin. The 8th District serves Cook, DuPage and Kane counties.

However, none of the fields are set in stone. Formal objections to nominating petitions, which can knock a candidate out of contention if upheld by the elections board, can be filed through Nov. 10.

Here’s a look at who’s running in other Congressional districts that serve the suburbs:

• 11th District: Bill Foster (D) incumbent, Naperville; Michael Pierce (R), Naperville; Jeff Walter (R), Elburn; Tedora Brown (R), Palos Park; Charlie Kim (R), Aurora.
• 14th District: Lauren Underwood (D) incumbent, Naperville; Jim Marter (R), Oswego; Gary Vician (R), Naperville.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251103/us-congress-politics/suburban-democratic-congressmen-set-to-face-primary-challenges/